Team Bath seek home boost as they take on Nottingham Trent in BUCS Super Rugby
Team Bath men’s 1st XV are determined to register their first victory of the 2018-19 BUCS Super Rugby campaign when they welcome Nottingham Trent University to the University of Bath Sports Training Village tonight (Wednesday, 6.30pm).
The Fulkers-sponsored Blue & Gold, who are also supported by MJ Church, have suffered narrow six-point defeats in their first two matches, at home to Northumbria and away to Durham, but have shown plenty of promise in those performances.
However, they know they face another tough challenge from Nottingham Trent, who started their season with an excellent victory over Loughborough.
More than 500 people were in attendance for Team Bath’s opening home game of the season and the men’s 1st XV will be hoping for another good turnout tonight, with admission to spectators free once again.
Team Bath have made three changes to the XV that started last Friday’s 30-24 defeat to Durham. James Catlin comes in at Number 8, while Bath Rugby Academy duo Arthur Cordwell and Will Butt start at loosehead prop and centre respectively.
Captain Tom Doughty will play his first home game of the 2018-19 season after becoming BUCS Super Rugby’s all-time leading try scorer in the Durham match.
Tonight’s teams
Team Bath starting XV: 15 Will Partington, 14 Finn Murphy, 13 Alex Nisbett, 12 Will Butt, 11 Hugo Stiles, 10 Alex Burrage, 9 Ed Rimmer; 1 Arthur Cordwell, 2 Tom Doughty (c), 3 Kieran Verdon, 4 Angus Hinton, 5 Adam Thresher, 6 Jack Davies, 7 Chris Barry, 8 James Catlin. Replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 George Cave, 18 Austin Hay, 19 Jack Kenningham, 20 Josh Lilly, 21 George Wootten, 22 Will Hughes, 23 Miles Gilbert.
Nottingham Trent starting XV: 15 Max Craven, 14 Paul Gimeno, 13 Alex Goble, 12 Matt Riddington, 11 Harry Graham, 10 Edward Morgan, 9 Alex Crocker, 1 Ben Smith, 2 JJ Broberg, 3 Cecil MacCarthy, 4 Ben Davis-Moore, 5 Joe Green, 6 Jacob Turner, 7 Jacob Wrafter, 8 Scott Hall. Replacements: 16 Tommie Collingwood, 17 Charlie Perkins, 18 Henry Trimmer, 19 Jack Liebster, 20 Harrison Savage, 21 Jamie Murray, 22 Tom Wootton, 23 Caetano Branco.
Referee: Harry Waulbaum.
Assistant referees: Joe Pointon, TBC.
Fourth official: Brad Bignell.
