Bath v Ulster

[Epaminondas Pules]

Bath Rugby: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Elliott Stooke, 5 Charlie Ewels (150), 6 Miles Reid, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer (c), 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Matt Gallagher

Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 GJ van Velze, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22, Orlando Bailey, 23 Will Butt

Ulster Rugby: 1 Steven Kitshoff, 2 Tom Stewart, 3 Tom O'Toole, 4 Alan O'Connor, 5 Iain Henderson (c), 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Nick Timoney, 8 James McNabney, 9 Nathan Doak, 10 Billy Burns, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 13 James Hulme, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 15 Stewart Moore

Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Andrew Warwick, 18 Marty Moore, 19 Kieran Treadwell, 20 Matty Rea, 21 John Cooney, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 Mike Lowry

[fivepointer]

Good test to see where Bath are. They've been really poor in Europe for several seasons so any improvement will be welcome.

[Banquo]

Good test to see where Bath are. They've been really poor in Europe for several seasons so any improvement will be welcome.

Dave Ewers!

[Spiffy]

Good test to see where Bath are. They've been really poor in Europe for several seasons so any improvement will be welcome.

Ulster look quite a good team on paper, but in reality have been performing poorly for the past few games with little cohesion, enthusiasm, zip or dog. They will be hard pushed to get an away win at Bath.

[Which Tyler]

Wow that pass!

[Banquo]

soft from lawrence there

[Banquo]

good try, but kicked away

[Banquo]

disappointing from lawrence again

[Epaminondas Pules]

Bit better from Lawrence

[Which Tyler]

Yes!

[Which Tyler]

And that was going to be a penalty try anyway.
Coetzee tackled round the head to bring him down, really ought to be a straight red regardless thatvthevtry was scored and time was up.
Of course, it isn't though.

[Banquo]

Superb second half from Lawrence and Bath. Coka looking sharp too.

[Which Tyler]

Coka looking sharp too.

Not sure I'd go that far. Competent though

[Banquo]

Coka looking sharp too.

Not sure I'd go that far. Competent though

looks fit and two tries.. still think he has summat

[fivepointer]

Very strong 2nd half from Bath. They really took control and finished emphatic winners. Plenty of good performances to enjoy. Obano making a very strong case for England recognition.

[Banquo]

Very strong 2nd half from Bath. They really took control and finished emphatic winners. Plenty of good performances to enjoy. Obano making a very strong case for England recognition.

Also great discipline from Bath, and good captaincy. Spencer has always been a good rugby player.

[Oakboy]

I can't see much of a case for NOT picking Barbeary and Spencer for England if we were to start from scratch (which should automatically be the case after a RWC, IMO).

[p/d]

Every team should field a tight perm. England need to embrace that.

[16th man]

Obano making a very strong case for England recognition.

That'll be him out injured until April then.

[Mikey Brown]

I can't see much of a case for NOT picking Barbeary and Spencer for England if we were to start from scratch (which should automatically be the case after a RWC, IMO).

There is a vacant slot for Youngs, and presumably Care, but is it worth investing in a 31 year old who doesn’t actually have many caps?

I’d question the whole ‘starting from scratch’ thing regardless, but just curious as I thought you were all about planning for the future? Not that any other candidates are particularly nailed on.

[Oakboy]

I can't see much of a case for NOT picking Barbeary and Spencer for England if we were to start from scratch (which should automatically be the case after a RWC, IMO).

There is a vacant slot for Youngs, and presumably Care, but is it worth investing in a 31 year old who doesn’t actually have many caps?

I’d question the whole ‘starting from scratch’ thing regardless, but just curious as I thought you were all about planning for the future? Not that any other candidates are particularly nailed on.

I certainly would not pick any over 30 backs at this stage from choice but I made the point on another thread that IF we WERE to include some, Spencer was making a case. As for starting from scratch, I mean nobody should just get in the squad on reputation. Some sort of open-minded re-think is especially important now of all times because SB picked a load of guys with experience in a reasonable decision process given his short-term need to produce a performance without nailing on his own terms.

There are always two schools of thought: 1. A game at a time, 2. Build for the future. I am very much in the second camp.

In Spencer's case, he might be a good inclusion with a challenge to younger SHs to outplay him. I could make the same comment about Slade. Neither would be in my plans for the next RWC but, if some experience was seen as essential for a couple of years, maybe include them. Quirke, say, to target Spencer's standard and Freeman to target Slade's perhaps. It's better than including Care or Tuilagi.

[Banquo]

we were to start from scratch

what do you mean by that?

[Banquo]

I can't see much of a case for NOT picking Barbeary and Spencer for England if we were to start from scratch (which should automatically be the case after a RWC, IMO).

There is a vacant slot for Youngs, and presumably Care, but is it worth investing in a 31 year old who doesn’t actually have many caps?

I’d question the whole ‘starting from scratch’ thing regardless, but just curious as I thought you were all about planning for the future? Not that any other candidates are particularly nailed on.

There are always two schools of thought: 1. A game at a time, 2. Build for the future. I am very much in the second camp.

There's the problem right there, its not a binary question.

[Oakboy]

we were to start from scratch

what do you mean by that?

What I meant was if we were not picking on reputation i.e. the likes of Ford, Farrell, Vunipola, Tuilagi (for example) would need to be the best in their positions based on club form. Farrell has dropped out anyway. The other three would struggle to be selected on current merit. I know you don't agree but I'd pick none of the three anyway based on rebuilding for four years time. I'd not pick Spencer either on that basis.

[p/d]

So is Spencer in or out ............... I'm so confused.