Mix of experience and exciting youngsters for Bath at Bears

Bath Rugby have opted for a mix of experienced heads and exciting youngsters as they look for their first victory of the PREM Rugby Cup campaign.

Former British & Irish Lion Chris Harris is in the Bath Rugby starting XV for the PREM Rugby Cup tie against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate Stadium tomorrow (Friday 31st October) | Photo © Richard Briggs

The Blue, Black & White won the competition last season but visit Bristol Bears tomorrow (Friday 31st October) aiming to break their 2025-26 duck following a brave display against Exeter Chiefs last month. The Sandy Park side needed two late tries to get the better of a youthful Bath team 23-14 on Saturday 20th September.

Coach Ryan Davis will lead Bath at Ashton Gate Stadium tomorrow (7.45pm) after being handed the reins for this block of cup fixtures by head of rugby Johann van Graan.

Ewan Richards will captain the visitors from the engine room, where he will line up alongside fellow lock Will Jeanes.

In the front row for the Round 3 match, props Scott Kirk and Vilikesa Sela will be joined by hooker Kepueli Tuipulotu.

Arthur Green, Ethan Staddon and number 8 Alfie Barbeary will complete the pack.

Scrum-half Neil le Roux will partner number 10 Tom de Glanville in the half-back berths.

Will Butt and former British & Irish Lion Chris Harris are selected in the Blue, Black & White’s midfield, with Tyler Offiah and Charlie Griffin occupying the wings.

Jack Woods will complete the starting XV at full-back.

Hooker Jasper Spandler and props Scott Kirk and Kieran Verden will be the front-row forwards ready to make an impact off the bench.

Harvey Cuckson and George Timmins will be the other replacement forwards.

Backs Ieuan Davies, James Linegar and Sam Winters – the latter set to make his Bath Rugby debut – will round off a five-three split on the bench.

Bath starting XV: 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Kepueli Tuipulotu, 3 Vilikesa Sela, 4 Will Jeanes, 5 Ewan Richards, 6 Arthur Green, 7 Ethan Staddon, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Neil le Roux, 10 Tom de Glanville, 11 Charlie Griffin, 12 Will Butt, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Tyler Offiah, 15 Jack Woods.

Bath replacements: 16 Jasper Spandler, 17 Mikey Summerfield, 18 Kieran Verden, 19 Harvey Cuckson, 20 George Timmins, 21 Ieuan Davies, 22 James Linegar, 23 Sam Winters.

Bristol will be captained by scrum-half Sam Wolstenholme, who returns to action following a hamstring injury. He will be partnered by fly-half Raff Weston, who will make his first appearance for the Bears.

Academy centre Victor Worsnip will make his debut in midfield alongside Jack Bates.

Mat Protheroe is named at full-back after rejoining the club on a short-term deal, and Josh Carrington and Aidan Boshoff will be on the wings.

In the pack, Georgia international Luke Ivanishvili will start on the blindside flank, with Kofi Cripps on the openside.

Academy duo Jimmy Halliwell and Tomas Gwilliam will join Sam Grahamslaw in the front row – and in the engine room, Joe Owen will be alongside Paddy Pearce.

Among the Bears’ replacements will be Wales international Ellis Bevan, who joined the club on a short-term deal from Cardiff Rugby this week.

Bristol starting XV: 1 Sam Grahamslaw, 2 Tomas Gwilliam, 3 Jimmy Halliwell, 4 Paddy Pearce, 5 Joe Owen, 6 Luka Ivanishvili, 7 Kofi Cripps, 8 Benjamin Grondona, 9 Sam Wolstenholme, 10 Raff Weston, 11 Aidan Boshoff, 12 Victor Worsnip, 13 Jack Bates, 14 Josh Carrington, 15 Mat Protheroe.

Bristol replacements: 16 Gabriel Oghre, 17 Louie Trevett, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 Steele Barker, 20 Kenzie Jenkins, 21 Ellis Bevan, 22 Evan Morris, 23 Benjamin Elizalde.

Tickets for the derby are available here.

Four Bath players have been selected for England’s Quilter Nations Series match against Australia at the Allianz Stadium, London, on Saturday 1st November (3.10pm).

Forwards Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill are in the starting XV, set to line up in the number 6 and number 7 jerseys respectively. And prop Will Stuart and scrum-half Ben Spencer are among the replacements.

The clash with the Wallabies will be Pepper’s first England Test appearance at HQ.

Meanwhile, Bath’s academy under-18s overcame their Bristol counterparts at Allington Fields, Chippenham, in PREM Next Gen Round 3 on Saturday 25th October.

The unbeaten Blue, Black & White scored five tries en route to a 31-5 success in which they had 62% of the possession and 65% of the territory.

Bath starting XV: 1 Henry Veale, 2 Freddie Beasley, 3 Charlie Dawe, 4 Ben Allen, 5 Charlie Greenhough, 6 Alex Yeabsley, 7 Teddy Skinner, 8 Georgia Faosiliva, 9 Ollie Lewis, 10 Max Hooper, 11 Ryan Carr, 12 Declan Treacey, 13 Aston Barrington-Hibbert, 14 Tom Meredith, 15 Sam Bunch.

Bath replacements: Logan Jarvie, Theo Lewis-Zdybel, Sid Moore, Taotafa Faosiliva, Pippo Hurrell, Lawson Horler, Cade Comer, Harry Jones.

The PREM Next Gen now takes a break until January.