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Bath Rugby v London Irish

By Bath Rugby

August 15^th, 2020

WE’VE MISSED YOU!

Welcome to our digital matchday programme as we host London Irish at the Rec.

Rugby is finally back and for the remaining home games of the 2019/20 campaign, we will publish our matchday programme online for free.

We hope this offering fills one of the voids of not being at the Rec with us. We have some regular features and some new content, and we hope you enjoy reading it in the run-up to the match.

STUART HOOPER: WELCOME

Hello everyone,

Welcome back. We are honoured and grateful to be back at the centre of our city, playing the game we love.

It has been a challenging few months for us all – personally, professionally and watching, and waiting for our city to revive and our sport to return.

It has been a privilege to see our Blue, Black and White community and our beloved city pull together to overcome the challenges we’ve faced. While we’ve welcomed some new faces into the squad and have benefited from the break to rehab some of our injured players, we’ve also bid farewell to some big Bath Rugby names and it’s been poignant that we haven’t been able to give them a final game and proper send off. We wish each and every one of them the very best in the future.

We recommence the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season with reinvigorated commitment and desire to be relentless in every moment.

Now we are back at the Rec and we’re ready to go. All the lads have been working tremendously hard behind the scenes and have adapted quickly to the new ways of working, and training. We’ve ramped up the intensity of our sessions to reflect the busy calendar heading our way to conclude the season and we know we are facing some big matches. We aim to get big results.

I’m thrilled to have Neal Hatley stepping into the role of Head Coach with us. Alongside his significant expertise as a coach, Hats’ ability to connect with the players, influence them and develop them outside of the training field is absolutely fundamental. He will get the best out of our players and we can expect great performances.

London Irish have injected new strength into their squad with some big names amongst their new arrivals. We know they are strong on the road and will present an exciting and challenging test for a first match back. They sit only a few places behind us and, like us, will have their eyes firmly fixed on the top four and a run at the play-offs.

We’re ready to face them.

We wish all of our supporters a very warm welcome back to our game. Adapting to home games without your voice surrounding us will be another difference to face. Nonetheless, we will arrive at the Rec with determination, focus and a commitment to challenge every one of us to be better.

The next chapter begins here.

Hoops

VIEW THE DYSON V11 ABSOLUTE

CHARLIE EWELS: WELCOME

Hello all,

Here we are. Finally back at the Rec, running out in the Blue, Black and White, ready to restart our Premiership campaign.

We are ready to bring our best performances to the tail-end of this season, with our sights firmly set on top four.

It is a very different playing situation to which we are adapting – summer rugby, behind-closed-doors games, sometimes two games a week. We’ve intensified our training, built our time playing together and ensured every member of the squad is ready to contribute.

It’s been brilliant to have the squad all back together training at Farleigh House and the Club has been great at ensuring we can train safely. We’ve all adapted to the hand sanitising, temperature checks and social distancing – it’s just normal now.

What won’t be normal when we run out on Saturday at the Rec, will be the quietness of the ground! We will definitely miss the noise from you, our supporters, that help us make the Rec a fortress. We know you’ll be willing us on from afar, however you are following the match.

Everyone has worked so hard to get to this point. The guys have been putting in the time and effort, and the coaches have been amazing too. We’ve pushed and challenged ourselves to be ready, and at the top of our game. We’ve built up not just our fitness, but our mental resolve. We can’t wait to get going.

Of course, we’re all thinking about the Premiership Final at Twickenham on 24 October. That has to be our goal. It’s such a tight league – many of the clubs have a shot at those top places and it’s going to come down to who can adapt fastest, and best to these new playing conditions.

We welcome London Irish to the Rec on Saturday nearly five months after the match was originally scheduled. Finally, we are back, and we are ready to go.

We hope you enjoy the journey.

Charlie

Follow the match here

CLUB NEWS

FIXTURES

It’s great to be back!

The match against London Irish on Saturday 15 August marks Bath Rugby’s restart of the 2019/20 season in Round 14 of the Gallagher Premiership. The squad are excited to be kicking off at the Rec and raring to go, ready to put in some big performances, and deliver great results over the coming weeks.

Next week, the Blue, Black and White head up to Welford Road to take on Leicester Tigers on Saturday 22 August, followed by Northampton Saints on Wednesday 26 August in back-to-back away fixtures.

In another tight turnaround, Bath Rugby take on Wasps in Round 17 back at the Rec on Monday 31 August before heading up the M4 to take on Harlequins on Saturday 5 September. Round 19 sees Bath Rugby return to the Rec to host Worcester Warriors on Wednesday 9 September, swiftly followed by the long trip to the AJ Bell Stadium to face Sale Sharks on Sunday 13 September.

Back at the Rec, an old West Country rivalry is reignited as Bath Rugby take on Gloucester in Round 21 (date and kick-off TBC) before the final match of the group stages, Round 22, when Bath Rugby face Saracens at Allianz Park on Sunday 4 October.

For full fixture information, including kick-off times and TV picks (where confirmed), click here.

PITCH UPDATE - RENOVATION COMPLETE

Bath Rugby is pleased to confirm the necessary work to renovate the playing surface and replace, and enhance drainage systems at the Rec is complete.

The vital work, delivered by Ecosol, upgrades the pitch to a fast, flatter surface for free-flowing attacking rugby with increased resilience that will perform better in the scrum, ruck and maul.

Due to take place over the summer, the postponement of the 2019/20 season meant renovation was able to be completed during the period of inactivity, with the upgraded pitch now ready for the remainder of this season’s home fixtures.

MATCHDAY TEAMS

VISIT THATCHERS ONLINE SHOP

BATH RUGBY SUPPORT RUGBY AGAINST RACISM CAMPAIGN

Bath Rugby will mark their support of Premiership Rugby’s campaign ‘Rugby Against Racism’ with the return of the Gallagher Premiership 2019/20.

As the season resumes, Bath Rugby alongside their fellow Premiership teams have committed to tackling and eradicating issues of racism in sport and society.

On Wednesday, Premiership Rugby announced a renewed commitment to making English professional club rugby a more diverse, welcoming and inclusive environment for all staff, players and fans alongside support for societal change.

Ahead of the opening match against London Irish at the Rec this afternoon, the players will demonstrate a unified front for this commitment to equality by forming a circle and kneeling together before kick-off. As a British serving soldier, Semesa Rokoduguni will exemplify solidarity and respect by standing to attention. Together, united as one, we are stronger.

Over the past few weeks, a player group from across the Premiership clubs and including Ugo Monye and James Bailey have discussed at length the challenges faced by black people both within the game, within sport and across society more widely.

Commenting on the Rugby Against Racism campaign ahead of the match, Anthony Watson said: “We have a responsibility not just to rugby but across the board to support Rugby Against Racism and demonstrate that support.

"Across the playing group, we have talked about the issues, particularly in light of the heightened awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement, and we are united in supporting equality and educating each other on this issue.

“We want our actions to mean something. Every player has a choice on how to do this personally, in addition to our decision as a playing group ahead of the game.

"This is why we stand together in a circle of unity, and respect each individual's choice whether they take the knee."

Click through to see more about one of our newest recruits, Ben Spencer.

Ben Spencer

Ben brings huge benefits to the Blue, Black and White as he commences a three-year deal. The Club’s focus on the scrum-half position has been clear when looking to the future and Ben’s addition is a crucial, and exciting recruitment as work continues to progress the senior squad for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, and beyond.

Will Spencer

A supporter favourite, Will returns to the Club after progressing through the Bath Rugby Academy and spending four years developing with the Blue, Black and White. Rejoining from Leicester, Will is an imposing figure on the field and dominates primarily in the second row. Bringing powerful physicality to complement the set piece, Will is hungry to return to the South West.

Juan Schoeman

Juan moves to Bath Rugby from Durban-based franchise The Sharks. The 28-year-old comes with experience in the tough art of front-row combat having scrummed his way through and up the various age-group ranks in South Africa. A reliable and skilful front-row operator, Juan brings further dominance to Bath’s already formidable front five.

JOSEPH LOOKING TO BUILD ON RESTART

Ccentre Jonathan Joseph is keenly awaiting the arrival of his former club this weekend as the Gallagher Premiership gets back underway with the Blue, Black and White welcoming London Irish to the Rec for Round 14.

Having been with Bath Rugby for seven years, Joseph has established himself within the Premiership and is now looking for the squad to push on, and defy expectations in the remaining nine rounds.

He said: “I have been at Bath Rugby for a while now, and we have always spoken as a team about building and growing - but there is definitely an added edge this season.

“I know we haven’t got it right all of the time and I know at home we haven’t scored as many times as we should have when we’ve had the opportunities to, but I feel now like we have the coaches and squad in place to move in the right direction, and be the team that we know we can be.

“It is a privilege to be a part of this team and the direction that we are headed in."

"I do believe that we will be contenders very soon, it’s just a case of getting everyone in the group to buy into what our standards are and what we expect from each other, and then put that into an 80-minute performance at the weekend.”

With the Rec’s pitch renovation complete, Joseph and the rest of the Blue, Black and White squad gave it a first outing last week in a training match, and after the hit out the inside centre was in awe of the new surface.

“The pitch is in great condition and has been done really nicely – we tested it out last week in a training match and it was good to try it out."

"The winter months take their toll on the Rec and it has been difficult at times to play on, but we need to gain some momentum early doors against London Irish and win the gain line battle.

“Off the back of that we are able to exploit the space on the pitch and get the back three players involved more, and that in itself will open up the game and we can create more chances.

“We arguably have the best back three in the Gallagher Premiership, so it’s about how we work as a side to get them the ball and open up the chances."

"To get them into space, that’s obviously a team effort and we need the forwards to be playing on the front foot, we need our half-backs to put us in the right areas of the field and then we have decisions to make off the back of that.”

The 29-year-old made 61 appearances in four years at Irish and progressed through their academy before joining Bath Rugby in 2013. The England centre reminisced upon his time at London Irish in light of today's match.

“I have a lot of fond memories at the Club, from getting scouted by London Irish and being in their academy set up. There were a lot of good players coming through their system at the time,” said Joseph.

“They still have a fantastic Academy set up. Neal Hatley was actually the Academy coach at the time, which was great as we both progressed through our careers. It's funny that we've both ended up at Bath Rugby together again.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and they are a side that has helped to mould me into the player that I am today. They gave me the initial platform and opportunity to perform.

“I started out on the wing for London Irish and quickly transitioned into becoming a centre. That happened quite early on, it was in the second year of the Academy. That time helped me learn the traits for a different position and that allowed me to break into the first team. I owe a lot to London Irish for what they have done for me, Hats (Neal Hatley), Boothy (Toby Booth) and the other coaches that were there at the time.

“Every time I go back to the Madejski Stadium, it brings back fond memories, like earlier this season in December. Obviously, I want to win against them every time we play against them now, but it really reminds me of where I have been in the past and where I started out.”

LAST TIME OUT

Watch the match highlights from the last time Bath Rugby took on London Irish.

REVISIT THE MATCH REPORT FROM DECEMBER

CHARLIE EWELS HITS 100

Bath Rugby Club captain Charlie Ewels is set to make his century milestone appearance on Saturday as the Blue, Black and White take on London Irish with the resumption of the Gallagher Premiership 2019/20 season.

He said: “It is a proud day to get to my one-hundredth appearance. It is probably the longest time that any player has had between their 99th and 100th appearance but it is a proud day.

"This is probably one for when you retire and look back at moments like this but at the moment, for me personally and the whole squad, we are passionate about pushing on and making those games mean something, and being successful.

“It is the case that this is my 100th game but I am learning just as much now as I was from my first game. You are never the complete package.

"It is a privilege to play 100 games and there have been some unbelievable players to have done it in the past for the Club but hopefully now we can go on and win something."

“All the talk at the moment has been about how we can hit the ground running in a different season but there is a huge opportunity for us to push on, reach the top four and win the competition.”

Having played for the Blue Black and White for six years, after graduating through the player pathway, Ewels has developed as a player with the same Club up until this moment of achieving this milestone.

“This Club means an enormous amount. We have just been through a time in the world where you realise how grateful you are for what you have and you reassess what is important to you."

“We as a Club have been through some really difficult stuff with the players. When you put a group of players under pressure you find out true characters. The thing that I am so proud of is that everyone came through it as they should have. Yes it wasn’t nice, COVID-19 has ruined everything, but here we are with more energy and more passion.

“We have a realigned importance of what we are here to do and just how special this place is, and how special the people are in this Club. The Club and the people here mean a huge amount to me.

“I hope I stay at Bath Rugby for a long period of time and play a lot more games. Number of games are a personal, individual milestone, but I would rather win championships.

“Game milestones are exactly that and they are something you will look back on but whilst you’re playing it is all about winning and being successful, and that is what drives me and what is driving the squad at the moment.”

Looking back on his highlights over his 99 games to date, the 25-year-old named some of his most memorable moments in the Blue, Black and White.

Ewels added: “There are lots of highlights. When you are younger and you first break in, every game is a huge learning experience, and the quality of players that we have in the squad and the players I have been able to play with have been highlights.

“There have been some great wins, some Gloucester derby wins stand out, some European nights – Toulon at home was probably the loudest I have ever heard the Rec – even this season, the wins over Exeter and Northampton in the rain.

“The real proper gritty ones where the crowd get up, get behind you and drag you through it. Every time you get to run out in the shirt is a privilege.”

LONDON IRISH: DIRECTOR OF RUGBY

Declan Kidney joined London Irish in March 2018. He is one of Irish rugby’s most successful and celebrated coaches and has legendary status in his native Munster, having guided the province to two European Rugby Champions Cup titles and to a further two Champions Cup finals during his time as Head Coach at Thomond Park.

In 2002 he joined Ireland’s coaching staff and returned to lead the national team in 2008. The Grand Slam he won in 2009 was Ireland’s first in 61 years and helped earn Kidney the accolade of World Rugby Coach of the Year, which was followed by a quarter-final spot at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Kidney was also successful in his earlier international career, coaching Ireland Under-19s to the Under-19 Rugby World Championship in 1998 and Ireland’s second team to the 2009 Churchill Cup title.

Since 2013 he has held the position of director of sport and physical activity at University College Cork in Ireland, one of Europe’s leading academic institutions.

Kidney, along with Head Coach Les Kiss, masterminded London Irish’s return to the Gallagher Premiership for the 2019/20 campaign.

“The squad is excited to finally get back out on the pitch and play some rugby after a long absence away from the sport. In the first fixture, Bath put us under pressure from the word go and we have to learn from that this time round.”

LONDON IRISH: SEASON SO FAR...

London Irish kicked-off their return to the Gallagher Premiership in impressive fashion, with a trip to the Ricoh Arena to take on Wasps in the opening weekend of the season. The Exiles ground out a determined 26-29 victory over the hosts.

Round 2 saw Sale Sharks visit the Madejski Stadium, with the Manchester-based outfit taking all five points in a 7-41 win.

Next up, was a testing journey to Allianz Park to take on defending champions Saracens. A late Manu Vunipola penalty denied the Exiles a share of the points, as the visitors fell to a slender 16-13 loss.

Following the narrow loss to Saracens, Irish welcomed Leicester Tigers to Reading, looking to get back to winning ways. The Exiles certainly did just that, securing a 36-11 bonus-point win over the Tigers.

A brief break for European action then took place, before London Irish headed to Ashton Gate to take on, then top of the league, Bristol Bears. The Exiles showed resilience to fight with 14 men for 45 minutes after a first half red card. The visitors eventually denied the hosts the win and claimed a hard-fought 27-27 draw.

London Irish hosted Bath Rugby in Round 6, for the club’s Christmas Party. However, a strong performance from Bath spoiled the party and they headed back to the West Country with a 10-38 win.

The Exiles then took on Worcester Warriors at Sixways Stadium in Round 7, with Worcester edging the contest 20-6 over the festive period.

Exeter Chiefs made the trip to the Madejski Stadium for the next round of Gallagher Premiership action, in what was a 10 try thriller! London Irish grabbed a four-try bonus-point despite the 28-45 loss.

Irish then got back to winning ways, making the journey to the midlands to take on Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens. It was an exciting finish to the contest and, with the last play of the match, an Adam Coleman charge down was collected by Dave Porecki, who dived over the try line to snatch a 16-20 win.

A derby day clash with Harlequins was next in the calendar for Irish, with a short trip to The Stoop in Round 10. The Exiles secured a 15-29 bonus-point victory in horrendous conditions, to the delight of the traveling supporters.

Gloucester visited the Madejski Stadium in Round 11, with the Exiles snatching a 24-20 win over the Cherry and Whites, making it three victories on the bounce.

Next up, it was Wasps’ turn to visit Reading. The visitor’s second half performance ensured a 26-36 win, but the Exiles fought hard until the end, crossing the line in the last play to secure a four-try bonus-point for their efforts.

In the final round before the break for lockdown, Irish travelled to Sale, losing 0-39.

London Irish currently sit in 8th position in the Gallagher Premiership, just two points behind today’s opposition, 6th placed Bath Rugby.

PLAYERS TO WATCH...

Motu Matu’u

The Samoan international hooker Motu Matu’u joined London Irish from Gloucester ahead of the 2018/19 season, helping the Exiles with their Championship winning campaign and the resulting return to the Gallagher Premiership.

Matu’u has played at two Rugby World Cups, the first in 2015 and the latest in 2019, and has captained his nation several times.

Before his venture over to England, Matu’u played a part in the 2016 Super Rugby winning campaign for the Hurricanes.

Blair Cowan

Blair Cowan joined London Irish ahead of the 2013/14 season and made an immediate impression, winning the Player’s Player of the Season award.

He is a highly regarded openside flanker and is also a Scotland international. Cowan has represented Scotland on 17 occasions, including the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Blair has made 130 appearances and scored 24 tries throughout his time with the Exiles.

Curtis Rona

Rona made his name with NRL clubs North Queensland Cowboys and Canterbury Bulldogs before switching codes to join Western Force in 2016, where his performances were rewarded with a call-up into the 2017 Australian national squad.

An international debut came against New Zealand, which included a try. In 2018 he crossed the country to sign for New South Wales Waratahs.

The centre, who is also comfortable on the wing, joined London Irish before the 2019/20 season.

Ollie Hassell-Collins

Ollie Hassell-Collins enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign before the break for lockdown.

The winger crossed for seven tries in 10 Premiership appearances, including touching down for four tries against Gloucester Rugby in February, helping Irish to a 24-20 bonus-point victory.

A product of the London Irish Academy, Hassell-Collins' impressive performances have seen him capped with England U20s.

PLAYER PATHWAY UPDATE

While on lockdown, the Bath Rugby Academy and coaches looked for creative ways to continue the players’ development. Bath Rugby remains committed to securing a 50% homegrown squad by 2023 and the support provided by the Academy coaches and the players – and vice versa – is crucial in realising this ambition.

Following the implementation of social distancing rules and the temporary shutdown of rugby operations, the Academy staff-maintained contact with players as much as possible, while keeping their focus on development.

Like many organisations, staff and players have become used to working and staying in contact remotely – a situation that presented both challenges and new opportunities. Regular calls both individually and in groups allowed coaches to monitor the progress and wellbeing – both physical and mental – of each player as well as helping players to keep track of their nutrition and fitness.

Without group training and regular fixtures, the young players have found other ways to keep active. Academy Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Bakker and Physiotherapist Rachel Williams created online plans for the Under 15, 16 and 18 age groups.

Players were able to download exercise programs with instruction, encouraging them to keep training at home using little to no equipment. Pathway Coaches Louis Messer and Matt Lishman also provided off-field challenges for the players to complete.

For players in the older age groups, it quickly became apparent there was a wide variation in the equipment each player had at home – so Academy staff developed a plan to ensure each player had the appropriate equipment to maintain strength and fitness.

Academy Manager Craig Lilley said: “The key thing for us as a group was to ensure we could check on our players' wellbeing and provide support. In this strange period, we wanted our Academy to remain as developmental as possible while prioritising the wellbeing of players and staff.

“Our staff have been committed to providing a variety of activities and inputs to help players remain physically active and emotionally connected.

"The bottom line was to keep things as regular as possible, maintaining activity levels, quality sleep, study and social interactions."

“The Senior Academy have now been in training for the past four weeks. Some players have fully integrated with the Senior Squad while others have been training in smaller groups to get physically up-to-speed before fully transitioning.

“And I want to give huge credit to our group of young players. It has been a tough time, but they have kept positive, connected and working together. They have been healthy and motivated and we’re looking forward to seeing the progress they’ve made when we are all able to resume activity.”

LOCKDOWN LOWDOWN WITH ANTHONY WATSON

BATH RUGBY FOUNDATION

Summer Break Out

Bath Rugby Foundation’s mission to help our community’s young people recover from the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown is well underway. Bath Rugby’s charity is leading Summer Break Out, a partnership of 24 charities, groups and businesses, which kicked off last week with camps taking place all across Bath & North East Somerset. We have three programmes running within Summer Break Out for different age groups, ensuring activities are relevant, exciting and fun. Most importantly, every participant and their family members receive a free, healthy meal at each session.

Run the Bath Half Marathon

The date of next year’s Bath Half Marathon has been announced and we are looking for runners to take part in Bath’s biggest annual event on 14 March wearing the famous Blue, Black and White. The Bath Half is a vital fundraiser for Bath Rugby Foundation, with every runner changing the lives of children in our community. Donations to the Foundation have fallen sharply during the COVID-19 lockdown, so it is more important than ever to sign up and run for Bath Rugby Foundation in 2021. Please join us on the beautiful city route and support the work done by the Foundation.

We are hiring

Bath Rugby Foundation is looking for a new HITZ Officer to join its award-winning team. Must be dedicated to changing the lives of young people who have had a tough start to life, through no fault of their own.

Win Charlie’s 100th Bath Rugby match shirt

Club captain Charlie Ewels is set to make his 100th appearance in the Blue, Black and White against London Irish and you can win his match-worn shirt for just £1! Bath Rugby Foundation’s matchday shirt raffles are moving online until supporters can return to the Rec. The postponement of Bath Rugby fixtures due to the COVID-19 lockdown left a large hole in Bath Rugby Foundation’s revenue and we are looking for your support to help us continue our crucial work – and be in with a chance to win a historical piece of Bath Rugby history!

WE'VE MISSED YOU...

As we left the Rec on 1 March after the Bristol game, feeling a bit disappointed (no, let’s be honest, absolutely gutted!), none of us imagined that it would be our last visit to the Rec this season or that we’d unknowingly said farewell to a number of the boys in Blue, Black and White.

We’ve managed to catch up with some of them to present them with mementos recognising their service to the Club, and of course, they all go with our thanks and very best wishes. At the same time, we’d like to extend a very warm welcome to the players joining us. Hopefully, you’ll get to experience the Rec in full voice soon!

It’s been a challenging time for the BRSC team but we’ve been busy. We’ve had to adapt our ways of working (we’re all pretty good at “Zoom” now!) as we endeavoured to deliver essential BRSC business including the AGM.

We’ve also used the time to tackle some major pieces of work around our membership sign up and renewals process, and the allez-bath website as well as doing our best to keep in touch with BRSC Members using newsflashes, social media and direct mailshots. We hope you’ve enjoyed our efforts, especially the “Who’s the GOAT” competition which ran over several weeks and was won by John Crouch who nominated more of the final 15 than anybody else!

You might be wondering about membership renewal for 2020/21. We’re delighted to say that the cards and badges have arrived and that the online membership window will open on 1 September using our new, much improved, Membermojo software. Keep an eye on your emails and on allez-bath (which we’ve also done a lot of work on) for details.

Events are difficult at the moment but we’re very pleased to announce that Francois Louw has very kindly offered to do a “Zoom” Q&A for BRSC Members. It’ll be on 14 September starting at 1900. Registration details will follow when we’ve sorted out the details!

It wouldn’t be match day at the Rec without the BRSC Gazebo, so we’re doing it electronically! Use the link that we sent you on 10 August to drop in and have a chat or just say hello. Myself, Ian Rooney and Anne Kirkham will be waiting for you!

We need this game today. London Irish are a very competitive outfit (even before Tom Homer rejoined them!) but we’ve got a great chance to finish 2019/20 really strongly. Wherever you’re watching, get right behind the boys in the Blue, Black and White!