Men’s 1st XV make long journey to North East looking for BUCS Super Rugby response
The University of Bath men’s 1st XV will be looking for an instant response to their last-kick BUCS Super Rugby defeat to Leeds Beckett when they make the long journey to Durham University today.
Just two changes have been made to the starting XV for the first away match of the 2018-19 season, with hooker Beck Cutting and prop Bradley Packham coming into the front row. Austin Hay switches from tighthead to loosehead prop.
Bath, sponsored by IKON Construction, have positive memories from their previous visits to the North East this year. A 25-19 victory at Durham City RFC in the last match of the 2016-17 league season secured a top-five finish in the table, then the Blue & Gold edged a dramatic 20-19 win a fortnight later to reach the semi-finals of the BUCS Rugby Championship.
Captain Will Britton looked ahead to the Durham game in his post-match comments following last week’s 27-26 home defeat to Leeds Beckett…
Bath will be wearing black armbands tonight in memory of former player and rugby club chairman George Stephenson, who has sadly passed away aged 24. Click here for more details.
Tonight’s line-up
University of Bath: 15 Jack London, 14 Harry Close, 13 Craig Duncan, 12 Charlie Dunbar, 11 Will Partington, 10 Will Flinn, 9 Luca Petrozzi; 1 Austin Hay, 2 Beck Cutting, 3 Bradley Packham, 4 Will Britton (c), 5 Scott Russell, 6 Jack Davies, 7 Mike Snook, 8 Stef Osman-Wiggans. Replacements: 16 George Frampton, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 David de Costa, 19 Derryn Jones, 20 Josh Lilly, 21 Louis Mulholland, 22 Finn Murphy.
