Key events
Teams
Wholesale changes from Johan van Graan after he put out the reserves last week vs Saracens, his eyes firmly on this match.
Pat Lam makes three changes to the pack that secured the play-off berth vs Harlequins.
Bath: Tom de Glanville, Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Cameron Redpath, Will Muir, Finn Russell, Ben Spencer, Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Will Stuart, Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels, Ted Hill, Guy Pepper, Alfie Barbeary.
Replacements: Niall Annett, Francois van Wyk, Thomas du Toit, Ross Molony, Miles Reid, Josh Bayliss, Tom Carr-Smith, Ciaran Donoghue.
Bristol: Noah Heward, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, James Williams, Gabriel Ibitoye, AJ MacGinty, Harry Randall, Ellis Genge, Gabriel Oghre, George Kloska, James Dun, Joe Batley, Steven Luatua, Fitz Harding, Viliame Mata.
Replacements: Harry Thacker, Jake Woolmore, Max Lahiff, Pedro Rubiolo, Santiago Grondona, Kieran Marmion, Harry Byrne, Jack Bates.
Preamble
It’s been a strange old season in Premiership Rugby. Each week has featured loads of tries, mostly optional defences, levels of consistency akin to starting a 12 year old Vauxhall Corsa on a winter morning – and it’s all been enormous fun.
No two teams represent the sublime vs ridiculous nature of the year in English domestic rugby more than the two battling this opening semi-final at the Rec. Bath topped the league well clear of their nearest rivals and have largely laid down a template of sense (relatively speaking) throughout the season. Their near neighbours Bristol meanwhile have spent the year defending like a 15 dogs with the zoomies; conceding an average of 34 points a game, showing an allergic reaction to sense and yet somehow find themselves in the play-offs.
All the sensible money is on a comfortable home victory here, but Bristol did win the previous meeting between the sides a few weeks ago albeit vs a weaker Bath selection.
Whatever the outcome, if this season has taught us anything it’s that it will be worth sticking around to watch it unfold.
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