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DIGITAL PROGRAMME: GLOUCESTER RUGBY (GP:R11)

Sunday 7 January 2024

By Bath Rugby

January 5^th, 2024

MUIR REACHES HALF-CENTURY

Bath Rugby are back in action for Round 11 of the Gallagher Premiership this weekend.

Johann van Graan has named his side to take on Gloucester Rugby as the Blue, Black and White prepare for their first game of 2024.

Returning to the front row, Beno Obano and Tom Dunn fill the first two spots.

Will Stuart retains his jersey from the New Year’s Eve clash against Leicester Tigers last weekend.

In the second row, Elliott Stooke and Charlie Ewels lock in to rekindle their familiar partnership.

GJ van Velze takes the blindside spot, with Miles Reid on the open side.

Jaco Coetzee completes the forwards set-up, fresh from making more dominant tackles than any other player in Round 10.

Ben Spencer reclaims his captaincy armband, partnered by Finn Russell at 10.

Will Muir gets his 50th appearance in Blue, Black and White after becoming a regular feature on the left wing since returning from injury at the start of the season.

Joe Cokanasiga mans the right wing ready for a match-up with Gloucester’s backline.

Internationals Cameron Redpath and Ollie Lawrence pair up in the centre.

Completing the starting XV, Tom de Glanville also retains his spot, moving across to fullback.

On the bench, van Graan chooses his bomb squad in the form of Thomas du Toit, Niall Annett and Archie Griffin.

Sam Underhill is also named replacement after a short spell on the side-lines.

Alfie Barbeary and Quinn Roux complete the replacement forwards, with Roux having made the most tackles by any player in last week’s Tigers fixture.

Performing well since their transition into the Premiership, Tom Carr-Smith and Sam Harris are named as replacement backs in a 6-2 bench split.

The game kicks off at 15:00 on Sunday 7 January at The Rec.

DIGITAL PROGRAMME: GLOUCESTER RUGBY (GP:R11)

"IT'S GOING TO BE A MATTER OF CONTAINING THEM IN THEIR ATTACK" - WILL MUIR ON GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Loved by The Rec faithful, Will Muir reaches his half-century in Blue, Black and White this weekend after spending the whole of last season on the side-lines.

Nicknamed 'Horse' for his galloping running style, Muir has been an ever-present piece of Johann van Graan's 2023/24 set-up, and for good reason.

Playing his best rugby yet, and eager to get his hands on the ball even more, Muir chatted to us ahead of the game this weekend reflecting on his time rehab and how it feels to be back out on the pitch.

"Because it was such a long rehab, you sort of think of that first game for quite a while, but as soon as I was in it and you're in amongst the players, it wasn't even at the back of my mind, I just wasn't think about it at all.

"Missing a full year and being on the side-lines for a full year means I'm still hungry to play as much as I can and do as best I can to make up for that missed year.

"I just feel like I want to get my hands on the ball as much as possible and have a crack. As a winger you never really know how many opportunities you get in a game so it's just about taking each one as it comes.

"Gloucester have got such good quality [in the back line], it's a good test as a back three so whoever picked in their back three will be a good match up.

"Looking at Gloucester's back three, they've got really good players and they're moving from side to side really well so it's going to be, personally, a matter of containing them and their attack.

"Winning the last game [against Gloucester], it's the taste that we want and it's our motivation to go back out there and get another win.

"I remember the game a good few years ago when we were on the receiving end of a big loss against Gloucester so it feels good revenge to get on the other side of the result."

BATH UNITED TAKING ON ENGLAND U20 THIS WEEKEND

Johann Van Graan has named an additional team this weekend, taking on England U20 in a developmental game for the International outfit as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 U20 Six Nations.

Ewan Richards will lead the team out, picking up his captaincy armband from the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Josh Bayliss and Ruaridh McConnochie are also back in the mix for Bath, having both been side-lined with injuries.

Check our social channels for an update on how the boys get on!

FULL BATH UNITED TEAM NEWS

THE REC NAMED ENGLAND U20'S HOME FOR THE 2024 U20 SIX NATIONS!

England U20 have chosen The Rec as their home ground for the 2024 U20 Six Nations tournament!

Supporters can attend BOTH fixtures hosted at the home of Bath Rugby for just £26.25 for adults and £8.75 for juniors.

Take advantage of this bundle offer and be there to see the international stars the future.

You may even get to see some of our young Bath Rugby stars on the international stage!

PURCHASE TICKETS

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BATH RUGBY DEBUT, BRENDAN

Huge congratulations to Brendan Owen who made his Bath Rugby debut last weekend off the bench against Leicester Tigers.

Owen joined the club in November from Jersey Reds.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VYOO

THE RECCY: GLOUCESTER RUGBY

The Cherry & Whites are heading to The Rec. Will you be joining us?! Here's what's in store for your first visit of 2024!

WHEN GATES OPEN FROM 13:00

Happy Hour - secure your discounted pints 🍻
Tunnel of noise for the players' arrival 👏
Live music from The Shadow Monkeys 💿
Bath Rugby Foundation raffle - win a signed England Rugby World Cup jersey!
Matchday Ambassadors 👋
Super Six Kicks 👟
Mascot Max 🦁
Food & beverage - including plenty for those doing Dry January!
Bath Rugby Shop 👕
Fan Radio 📻
Bath Rugby Supporters' Club 🤝
Face painter 🎨
Travel sorted with Centurion Travel 🚌

READ THE FULL RECCY

PURCHASE VIÑALBA

MATCH PREVIEW, DELIVERED BY HUBOO

The boys in Blue, Black and White are back at their home turf of The Rec and ready to take on what 2024 has in store.

Up first for Johann van Graan's men are Gloucester Rugby who look to reignite the ferocious rivalry of the two sides in a New Year derby.

Of the encounter, van Graan said: "We've had some big battles over many years with Gloucester and the last few against them were big crowds with the two teams having a proper go at each other, so it's brilliant to host them at The Rec on Sunday.

"You've got to look at the game closely and they've only narrowly lost over the last two weeks. The weekend of Twickenham [against Harlequins], one play was the difference between winning and losing. The previous week they had a kick to win it so what I've learnt in the Premiership is to respect every single team.

"What happened before doesn't matter, even more so when it's Bath versus Gloucester so for us, it's a new game, a new team, a bit different on a Sunday, and we look at this game in isolation and treat Gloucester with the respect they deserve.

"We're focused on the things that we've been doing well and the focus is on us and trying to improve our group and our individual players. We aren't perfect but we are trying to be better every single day.

"Every week you'll hear me saying 'respect the opposition' because I've learned as a coach if you are disrespectful to anybody or arrogant in your preparation this game keeps you humble.

"George [Skivington] is a class man and a class coach; they've got some phenomenal players in their team and they're not far off so it's the exact same as it was against Leicester, against Harlequins and the two European games before that.

"Obviously we want to win the game on Sunday, that's why we play this game, we want to win every single game. If you start focusing on the log and on the result, you're going to go the wrong way.

"For us it's about focusing on our process; prepare as well as we can, do the things we do well, and then it's about the 80 minutes on Sunday.

"We'll make our team selection on Friday as we've still got one training session to go and Captain's Run on Saturday so we'll take our time throughout the week and select the side that we believe can be competitive on Sunday.

"As I said from the very first week against Newcastle Falcons, we're going to use our squad and I've got buy in from the board and the owner, the staff and most importantly the players. The players are very much aware of what the plan is and we pick a team we believe can win every week.

"Against Leicester we had enough opportunities to be competitive, and the two yellow cards really hurt us so from our side a lot goes into selecting a team - not days in advance but weeks and months before."

READ THE FULL MATCH PREVIEW

VISIT HOMEWOOD

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION: GLOUCESTER RUGBY

After a shaky season so far, George Skivington leads his men to The Rec looking for redemption after Bath Rugby's silencing of The Shed back in November.

Taking to English rugby's greatest stage last week against Harlequins at Twickenham, the Cherry & Whites saw a second half comeback to finish the game with a losing bonus point.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Skivington said: "It's a massive task this week. We know Bath are in very good form and are doing really well this year, so it'll be tough".

Flattering words from the Gloucester Head Coach, whose team will be out for blood against Bath in what is one of the biggest encounters in the Premiership calendar.

Being led by the Gloucester-man Lewis Ludlow, the captain brings with him World Cup stars including Argentinian Santiago Carreras, Scotsman Chris Harris, Welshman Louis Rees-Zammit and Fijian Albert Tuisue.

Former Bath Rugby Number 8, Zach Mercer, also returns to The Rec for the first time since signing for the Cherry & Whites from an impressive few years in the Top 14 with Montpellier.

GLOUCESTER'S VISIT TO THE REC LAST SEASON

Bath Rugby 17-21 Exeter Chiefs

Saturday 8 October 2022

BATH RUGBY V GLOUCESTER RUGBY 22/23

TRY MR FILBERT'S

BATH RUGBY U18 BACK IN ACTION

Bath Rugby Academy U18 will get their first fixture of the year this weekend against Exeter Chiefs U18.

Taking place at Chippenham RFC, the young side, which contains plenty of age-grade international talent, and is responsible for the likes of Max Ojomoh, Orlando Bailey and Josh Bayliss, play in the ACE League.

The U18's calendar looks like this 👇

📍Bath Rugby U18 v Exeter Chiefs U18, Saturday 6 January 14:00, Chippenham RFC

📍Bath Rugby U18 v London Irish U18, Saturday 13 January 12:15, Chippenham RFC

📍Harlequins U18 v Bath Rugby U18, Saturday 20 January 13:30, Cobham RFC

📍Bath Rugby U18 v Northampton Saints U18, Saturday 3 February, Chippenham RFC

📍Gloucester Rugby U18 v Bath Rugby U18, Saturday 10 February 13:00, Kingsholm

📍U18 Finals Day, Sunday 18 February, kick-off TBC, Kingsholm

CLUB CONTINUES COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROMOTING MATCHDAY SAFETY

Every week, Bath Rugby supporters travel from far and wide to support the Blue, Black and White in their Gallagher Premiership campaign.

Whether at home at The Rec, or travelling across the country, win or lose the Bath Rugby faithful is there to cheer the team on.

As a club, Bath Rugby wants to make sure it is doing all it can to ensure the matchday experience is a safe space for all its supporters and the wider community.

After the success of its campaign with Avon & Somerset Police and British Transport Police last season, Bath Rugby has joined forces once again with the two organisations to tackle violence and harassment against women and girls in the South West area.

The initiative promotes the act of being an active bystander, where we as a community can come together and safely challenge unacceptable behaviour on a matchday, on the journey to the stadium and when travelling home.

LEARN MORE

BECOME A NEXTGEN MEMBER!

NextGen, the destination for junior Bath Rugby fans.

NextGen membership is designed specifically to cater for the next generation of players and Bath Rugby fans aged between 4 and 16, providing exclusive access to child-friendly content, unforgettable experiences and fantastic competitions.

If you fit the below criteria, NextGen membership has you covered!

✔️ Forever Blue, Black and White

✔️ Aged 4-16

✔️ Rugby fanatic

✔️ Enjoy watching funny content

✔️ Excited to win exclusive prizes

And the best part - it's all FREE!

SIGN UP TO NEXTGEN TODAY

TIKTOK MAGICIAN, DAN RHODES, TEACHES FINN, WILL AND SAM MAGIC TRICKS!

Dan Rhodes, who boasts over 10 million followers on TikTok, headed to The Rec recently where he met Finn Russell, Will Stuart and Sam Harris to teach them a bunch of tricks from his locker.

See how the trio got on!

WIN IN OUR ROLEX RAFFLE!

In one of our most generous donations to date, Watches of Bath have gifted the Foundation a Rolex Submariner watch worth £10,000... and it could be yours!

For your chance to win this ultimate prize, enter the raffle for just £10!

Tickets are available to purchase using the link below, or find a Bath Rugby Foundation volunteer in the fan village at the game on Sunday and purchase yours!

Every penny of the money raised in the raffle goes towards helping children and young people in Bath and the surrounding areas.

ENTER THE RAFFLE

RUN THE BATH HALF FOR US IN MARCH!

Feeling inspired by the turn of 2024? New year, new challenge? Open to pushing yourself? We're looking for people to run the Bath Half on behalf of Bath Rugby Foundation in March.

When running and raising money for Bath Rugby Foundation, you'll not only be changing the lives of young people in and around Bath, but you'll also get:

Free limited edition Bath Rugby Foundation running vest
Training runs and running clinics to improve your time and recovery
Massage sessions throughout your training, as well as on the day of the Bath Half
Secure bag storage
Warm space pre and post run
Food and hydration taken care of
Bath Half cheering support