Ahead of this game the big question is what sort of team will we put out? Having had an extra week's rest, courtesy of last week's postponement, there is a strong argument for playing the full side, going for that guts and glory performance, doing everything we can to maintain our fine start to 2010. Keep the momentum going.

However, I think that practicalities should come into play. We are out of this competition and we are still a long way from being guaranteed Premiership rugby next season, let alone another Heineken Cup place. We would look pretty ridiculous if we were to play a full strength side and then suffer a critical injury or two.

Obviously the path we take will go a long way to determining the performance and the result. I hope that we use the game to give some game time to a few of our richly deserving squad players, and if this happens I hope they seize the opportunity to prove themselves and to give the coaching team a few extra selection headaches. If we do go down this road I expect us to be soundly beaten.

I suspect that we won't be doing this. I suspect we will play pretty much a first-choice side. I'm sure that Steve Meehan will be desperate to put one over his former employers and will, with some justification, state that we need to build on the momentum that we have established in the last few weeks and keep our best players battle hardened and hungry. The squad players will have to wait for the cup games Leicester and Sale.

Meanwhile, Stade Francais will be pulling no punches. Stung by the Dupuy affair and some pretty average performances this season, but with both eyes firmly set on Heineken Cup glory, they will be looking for nothing less than a convincing victory and hoping that we will save our glory performance for Ulster next week.

It's very, very rare for me to predict a defeat for Bath in any rugby match, but I really don't see us winning this game. We are literally in a no-win position two days before the game has taken place.

I now look forward to an inspired performance from the team and spending the weekend feasting on sweet humble pie.

Bath (Possible)

15. Maddock

14. Stephenson

13. Carraro

12. Hape

11. Banahan

10. Little

9. Claassens (c)

8. Watson

7. Salvi

6. Beattie

5. Grewcock

4. Hooper

3. Bell

2. Mears

1. Flatman

Bench: Dixon, Barnes, Wilson, Short, Skirving, Bemand, Davis, Cuthbert

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon