Bath shuffle for Glasgow visit

Published: Friday, 20. January, 2012 in category Bath
Donald: Back at fly-half for Bath

Bath have endured a disappointing European campaign, recording just the one win from their five Pool Three games.

And although there is little left for Bath to play for - with no chance of reaching the Amlin Challenge Cup - boss Sir Ian McGeechan has named a strong-looking line-up for Saturday's clash at The Rec (kick-off 1.30pm).

Jack Cuthbert, Matt Carraro, Stephen Donald and Chris Cook come into the back division, while Pieter Dixon, Andy Beattie, Guy Mercer and Ben Skirving are added to the pack.

There is also a welcome return to the match-day squad for Lee Mears, who is named on the bench.

Glasgow will head to Bath needing a win to keep alive their hopes of scraping into the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Coach Sean Lineen has kept faith with the side that went down 23-16 to Leinster last Sunday, with the only changes to his 23 coming on the bench, with Ryan Wilson, Peter Murchie and Henry Pyrgos in for Johnnie Beattie (elbow), Troy Nathan (back) and Colin Gregor.

Glasgow have lost narrowly on both their previous Heineken Cup visits to the Rec - 35-31 in season 2008/9 and 31-26 in 2005/6.

They did, however, win the first of this season's meetings between the teams, 26-21 at Firhill last November.

"We know our chance of making the Heineken quarter-finals has gone, but make no mistake, this is another huge game for us this weekend," Lineen told the club's official site.

"There is a massive amount at stake in any number of senses. First and foremost, we need to win to give ourselves a chance in terms of the Amlin quarter-finals, while beating a Premiership team on their own patch would be a significant achievement in itself.

"Bath are a tremendous, proud club with great traditions. They set the standard for clubs like ourselves in terms of where we aspire to get to. They'll be hungry to finish their Heineken campaign with a strong performance, so we know just how tough it will be to achieve the right result.

"We were very frustrated not to beat the reigning European champions last week, and I'm delighted the players aren't satisfied by having run a quality side like that so close. We want to be winning these big games, and it's important we set down a marker this weekend for the battles that are coming our way in the RaboDirect PRO12."

Pool Three leaders Leinster host Montpellier, who lie a point behind Glasgow, in the other game in the group.

Bath: Cuthbert, Carraro, Barkley, Banahan, Biggs, Donald, Cook, Beech, Dixon, D Wilson, Attwood, Caldwell, Beattie, Mercer, Skirving.

Replacements: Mears, Flatman, Perenise, Louw, S Taylor, Claassens, Heathcote, Vesty.

Glasgow: Lamont, Seymour, Hogg, Morrison, Shaw, Weir, Cusiter, Barclay, Fusaro, Harley, Kellock, Gray, Kalman, MacArthur, Welsh.

Replacements: Hall, Reid, Grant, Ryder, Pyrgos, Wilson, Murchie, Wight.