Preview: Saracens v Bath
Bath coach Steve Meehan has named his side for his side’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against Saracens at Vicarage Road on Sunday.
The backline features four try-scorers from the comprehensive 51-12 quarter-final victory over Bristol that saw them through to the last four in the competition, namely Joe Maddock, Tom Cheeseman, David Bory and Shaun Berne.
Maddock replaces Nick Abendanon at full-back, after Abendanon cracked a rib in last week’s narrow league defeat by Sale Sharks.
Cheeseman moves to the right wing from the left, where Bory now starts while Berne teams up again with Nick Walshe at half-back.
There are two other changes since last week’s game. Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, a replacement last Friday, starts at outside centre in place of Chev Walker and in the pack Zak Feaunati returns to number eight in place of Jonny Faamatuainu.
Meanwhile, Saracens coach Alan Gaffney makes three changes to his starting line-up which moved to third place in the Guinness Premiership last weekend with hooker Shane Byrne and props Cobus Visagie and Nick Lloyd returning to the side.
In other team news, although he has returned to training, Kameli Ratuvou’s hamstring injury keeps him out for another week while on the bench, Alan Dickens also comes into the squad as does Iain Fullarton.
Saracens and Bath have been here before. In 2003 the two English sides contested a two-legged semi-final and it was Bath who progressed to the final before being beaten 48-30 by London Wasps.
But the semi-final was an epic battle, after 160 minutes of rugby both teams had scored 57 points. Bath took the first leg with a 27-19 win at the Recreation ground, but Saracens revered that result two weeks later with a 38-30 home victory.
That meant that try count was used to settle the match and Bath’s superior score of six to five was enough to see them through.
Neutral fans hope this season’s semi-final be half as exciting while fans of the competing teams will be looking for a more clear cut result.
Form: In the Guinness Premiership this season, Saracens have had the upper hand winning in Watford at the beginning of the season and then drawing at The Rec in February. In a match of this nature form and league position goes out of the window as it’s a one off game and winner takes all and Saracens will be well aware of the 50-plus points they put on Bristol in the quarter-finals.
The teams:
Saracens: 15 Thomas Castaignede, 14 Dan Scarbrough, 13 Kevin Sorrell, 12 Andy Farrell, 9 Neil de Kock, 10 Glen Jackson, 11 Rodd Penney, 8 Ben Skirving, 7 Richard Hill, 5 Simon Raiwalui, 4 Hugh Vyvyan, 6 Kris Chesney, 3 Cobus Visagie, 2 Shane Byrne, 1 Nick Lloyd
Replacements: 16 Matt Cairns, 17 Cencus Johnston, 18 Iain Fullarton, 19 David Seymour, 20 Alan Dickens, 21 Adam Powell, 22 Tomas de Vedia
Bath: 15 Joe Maddock, 14 Tom Cheeseman, 13 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 David Bory, 10 Shaun Berne, 9 Nick Walshe, 8 Isaac Feaunati, 7 Michael Lipman, 6 Andy Beattie, 5 Danny Grewcock, 4 Steve Borthwick (c), 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Lee Mears, 1 David Barnes
Replacements: 16 Pieter Dixon, 17 Laurence Ovens, 18 Peter Short, 19 James Scaysbrook, 20 Andy Williams, 21 Michael Stephenson, 22 Chev Walker
Date: Sunday 22 April
Venue: Vicarage Road
Kick-off: 12:30pm (11:30am GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
