Bath v Saracens Fri 7.45 On BT Sport

[fivepointer]

Bath: Homer; Wilson, Joseph, Willison, McConnochie; Priestland, Chudley (capt); Catt, Dunn, Thomas, Attwood, Douglas, Stooke, Reid, Mercer.

Replacements: Batty, Obano, Perenise, Davies, Ellis, Fotuali'i, Burns, Clark.

Saracens: Malins; Strettle, Tompkins, Lozowski, Lewington; Goode (co-capt), Spencer; Barrington, Woolstencroft, Koch, Skelton, Isiekwe, Rhodes, Burger, Wray (co-capt).

Replacements: Gray, Lamositele, Judge, Day, Earl, Whiteley, Bosch, Gallagher.

[Banquo]

Bath: Homer; Wilson, Joseph, Willison, McConnochie; Priestland, Chudley (capt); Catt, Dunn, Thomas, Attwood, Douglas, Stooke, Reid, Mercer.

Replacements: Batty, Obano, Perenise, Davies, Ellis, Fotuali'i, Burns, Clark.

Saracens: Malins; Strettle, Tompkins, Lozowski, Lewington; Goode (co-capt), Spencer; Barrington, Woolstencroft, Koch, Skelton, Isiekwe, Rhodes, Burger, Wray (co-capt).

Replacements: Gray, Lamositele, Judge, Day, Earl, Whiteley, Bosch, Gallagher.

why not Malins at 10 and Goode at 15. Odd.

Thought Bosch had retired.

Interesting to see if Sarries suffer from no Barritt, they usually do.

[twitchy]

Good to see obano back after that horror injury.

[Scrumhead]

Bath looking decent at the moment. They’re definitely playing with a higher level of intensity than I expected when I saw the lineups.

[Mikey Brown]

Just seen that clip of Rhodes on twitter. I’d forgotten what a dickhead he is.

[Buggaluggs]

32 penalties? Sounds like a cracker!

[Timbo]

What a terrible game of rugby, not helped by an absurdly officious referee.

[fivepointer]

Doesnt sound like much of a spectacle. 32 penalties is a ridiculously high number and will cripple any game.
Good win for Bath, all the same.

[Digby]

Just seen that clip of Rhodes on twitter. I’d forgotten what a dickhead he is.

Probably a 2-4 week ban for something that wasn't needed and wasn't helpful. I can't even say it was reckless thuggery as he's intentionally smashed a lad that he was stood well away from

That said I expect the wider game to take no action around players needing to bind at a ruck, and really that's what's needed to stop the huge number of incidents where players just fly in.

[Digby]

One other thought on the game, Lewington has gone backwards at Sarries.

[Peej]

I thought Sarries might really push Lewington into international reckoning, but he looks so peripheral. It can't help when Strettle consistently gets picked over you, but even so, he looks disinterested and half the player he was at a struggling Irish.

[Mellsblue]

Rhodes banned for three weeks.

[Raggs]

Yeah, but hows Lewi11, his highly successful property company, going?

[twitchy]

Rhodes banned for three weeks.

Incredibly lenient. That was a cold/calculated attack with intent.

[Mikey Brown]

Kalamazoo got 3 weeks in addition to the red, right? If anything I though Rhodes’s was worse.

[Peej]

And it will only be two Premiership games as no doubt they'd claim he would have played for the B team this weekend