This Friday night, The Rec sets the stage for an explosive Investec Champions Cup quarter-final clash as several South African heavyweights line up for Bath and Northampton Saints. Veteran lock Quinn Roux will anchor Bath's pack, facing off against Northampton's powerhouse JJ van der Mescht. From the bench, the colossal Springbok, Thomas du Toit, will look to replicate his last-16 game-altering performance against Saracens.
Bath, under the stewardship of South African coach Johann van Graan, have morphed into a European rugby powerhouse, known for their bruising physicality and sharp attacking prowess. This marks their first quarter-final appearance in the Champions Cup in over a decade, fresh off their victory in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season. Meanwhile, Northampton is hungry for redemption after narrowly missing out last season, falling to Bordeaux Bègles in the final.
"We took quite a bit of learning a few months ago when we played Northampton here. Northampton are a fantastic team and both teams are currently playing some fantastic rugby. I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic contest on Friday evening,"
said Johann van Graan, emphasizing the anticipation surrounding the rematch.
The stakes are high with the winner set to face either Bordeaux or Toulouse, who are squaring off in another all-French quarter-final. Earlier in the Premiership season, Northampton showcased their might with a decisive 41-21 victory over Bath at The Rec, a result they are eager to replicate on a much grander stage.
"It’s a completely different game and psychological remit, but we’ll try to replicate the things that went well that day,"
stated Northampton coach Phil Dowson, wary yet optimistic about leveraging past successes.
Bath's lineup includes a blend of experience and dynamic talent, with players like Francois van Wyk and Bernard van der Linde ready to make an impact off the bench. As the teams prepare for kickoff, the rugby world watches with bated breath, anticipating a showdown filled with strategic depth and high-octane rugby.
Teams:
BATH – 15 Tom de Glanville; 14 Henry Arundell, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Will Muir; 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben Spencer (c); 8 Miles Reid, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Billy Sela, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano. Bench: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Alfie Barbeary.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS – 15 George Furbank (c), 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Archie McParland, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 JJ van der Mescht, 4 Tom Lockett,
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This Friday night, The Rec sets the stage for an explosive Investec Champions Cup quarter-final clash as several South African heavyweights line up for Bath and Northampton Saints. Veteran lock Quinn Roux will anchor Bath's pack, facing off against Northampton's powerhouse JJ van der Mescht. From the bench, the colossal Springbok, Thomas du Toit, will look to replicate his last-16 game-altering performance against Saracens.
Bath, under the stewardship of South African coach Johann van Graan, have morphed into a European rugby powerhouse, known for their bruising physicality and sharp attacking prowess. This marks their first quarter-final appearance in the Champions Cup in over a decade, fresh off their victory in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season. Meanwhile, Northampton is hungry for redemption after narrowly missing out last season, falling to Bordeaux Bègles in the final.
"We took quite a bit of learning a few months ago when we played Northampton here. Northampton are a fantastic team and both teams are currently playing some fantastic rugby. I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic contest on Friday evening,"
said Johann van Graan, emphasizing the anticipation surrounding the rematch.The stakes are high with the winner set to face either Bordeaux or Toulouse, who are squaring off in another all-French quarter-final. Earlier in the Premiership season, Northampton showcased their might with a decisive 41-21 victory over Bath at The Rec, a result they are eager to replicate on a much grander stage.
"It’s a completely different game and psychological remit, but we’ll try to replicate the things that went well that day,"
stated Northampton coach Phil Dowson, wary yet optimistic about leveraging past successes.Bath's lineup includes a blend of experience and dynamic talent, with players like Francois van Wyk and Bernard van der Linde ready to make an impact off the bench. As the teams prepare for kickoff, the rugby world watches with bated breath, anticipating a showdown filled with strategic depth and high-octane rugby.
Teams:
BATH – 15 Tom de Glanville; 14 Henry Arundell, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Will Muir; 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben Spencer (c); 8 Miles Reid, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Billy Sela, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano. Bench: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Alfie Barbeary.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS – 15 George Furbank (c), 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Archie McParland, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 JJ van der Mescht, 4 Tom Lockett,