Bath v Stade Rochelais - Teams and Prediction

FRIDAY PREVIEW: Round One of the 2024/2025 Champions Cup season will kick off with a mouth-watering clash.

Two-time winners Stade Rochelais will be heading to English Premiership leaders Bath, the 1998 champions, on Friday for the opening match.

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle will be led by No.8 Gregory Alldritt who produced some disappointing international performances last month and was dropped from the squad for the Los Pumas win.

“I’m conscious that I need to continue to elevate my standards,” Alldritt told reporters this week.

“We’re in early December and the season’s long.

“I know where I want to go and I know pretty much how to get there.

“With that in mind, I’m not worried,” the 27-year-old added.

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1️⃣3️⃣ different winners in 3️⃣0️⃣ season ⭐️

Will it be a new team that lifts the #InvestecChampionsCup trophy in Cardiff? pic.twitter.com/kma6zD5pbR

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 5, 2024

O’Gara has selected a powerful team which includes Dillyn Leyds, Ihaia West, Will Skelton and Tawera Kerr-Barlow among others.

Meanwhile, Johann van Graan brings Cameron Redpath into his Bath starting line-up for the clash against the French giants.

Keeping his pack the same as last week, Bath’s Head of Rugby named Thomas du Toit at loosehead, with Tom Dunn at hooker and Will Stuart at tighthead.

Quinn Roux and Charlie Ewels will lock in in the second row, seeing Ted Hill on the blindside and two of last weekend’s try-scorers, Guy Pepper and Miles Reid, completing the starting forwards.

Captain Ben Spencer and Finn Russell will form the halfback combination.

In the midfield, Will Butt retains the 12 jersey, with Redpath coming into the starting line-up at outside centre.

Will Muir, Joe Cokanasiga and Tom de Glanville also retain their positions across the backline.

Named as replacements, Niall Annett and Francois van Wyk line up on the bench, seeing Archie Griffin return to the Bath shirt as replacement tighthead.

Ross Molony, Josh Bayliss and Jaco Coetzee will complete the replacement forwards selection.

In a six-two split, Louis Schreuder and Max Ojomoh will provide their impact from the bench.

Prediction

@rugby365com: Bath by three points.

Teams:

Bath: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Cameron Redpath, 12 Will Butt, 11 Will Muir, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben Spencer (captain), 8 Miles Reid, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ted Hill, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Thomas du Toit.
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Max Ojomoh, 23 Jaco Coetzee.

La Rochelle: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 UJ Seuteni, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Ihaia West, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Grégory Alldritt (captain), 7 Matthias Haddad, 6 Oscar Jegou, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Thomas Lavault, 3 Uini Atonio, 2 Tolu Latu, 1 Reda Wardi.
Replacements: 16 Quentin Lespiaucq, 17 Louis Penverne, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Kane Douglas, 20 Levani Botia, 21 Thomas Berjon, 22 Hugo Reus, 23 Teddy Thomas.

Date: Friday, December 6
Venue: Recreation Ground, Bath
Kick-off: 20:00 (20.00 GMT; 21.00 CET)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear (Ireland), Gwyn Morris (Ireland)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Additional source: AFP