Gotta Love Bath time…

How will you spend your Valentines Day?

I know how I will and hopefully 10,000 other’s will join me!

3pm Sixways ‘Stadium’ February 14^th 2009 - This is one fixture I dread / look forward to. Split Loyalties is one way to describe it!

From an early age (in the womb) I was brought up on rugby (Grandfather, Father and Brother all played at some stage), Mummy fish would go to Bath and watch matches which is where it all began I suppose! Being ‘dragged’ home from school for the ’95 World Cup; following England along with Worcester but also another team which were slightly higher…..Bath. In 1997 there was a program shown on the BBC featuring ‘behind the scenes’ at Bath rugby. I was hooked, the changing room scenes were something I shouldn’t have been watching at such a young age, nor was the language but it was gripping stuff. The main point of the program was the signing of a young Full Back, who would turn out to be England’s most capped Full Back, but more importantly ‘my Hero’.

Throughout the years I have supported  both Bath and Worcester, going up to to Sixways to see the Gold ‘n Blues of Worcester was always great, watching Backo run in the tries, Tony Yapp kicking the points was always a great way to spend Saturday afternoon.

One cold Monday evening, my dreams had come true; Bath were to play an ‘A’ game vs Worcester at Sixways, where I got to meet some of the heroes; Guscott, de Glanville, Balsh amongst many others. It was one of the days I had dreamed of, seeing Bath and Worcester playing together, something that I never would have thought Worcester could do at the time. That day was great, but what followed was to be better. Mummy Fish had got me tickets to go and watch Bath at the Rec. Although we had been to Bath many times, I had never had the chance to go and see Bath play and this was it! They played London Irish on that day, I was cheering on Catty, Ubogo and a few others were involved that turned later into WorcesterBath can play. After that Mummy Fish and I got season tickets for Worcester Rugby. I was attending more Away games and becoming a true ‘Blue-blooded’ rugby fan. What more can a rugby lass want, men in tight shorts, bulging thighs and the odd point – not that much has changed in the last 8/9 years!! Although I follow Bath, I am a Worcester fan at heart (this of course must be stated many times, for fear of my life at most grounds, and even more so at home!) stars; Horse, Craig, Mark Gabey and also Ben Clarke. This is where I saw the amazing style of rugby that

A few years on, on one rainy day in Bath, we took another trip down to the Rec. We saw Bath play Newcastle this time. Olly B was just starting out, Dave Walder got seriously injured on the pitch. Bath comfortably beat the Falcons side, I was a happy Fishy that day. Even more so when Mummy Fish and I went round to get autographs, and who should I bump into? (Later to be known as stalking )Steve Borthwick signed my programme, as good as that was I wasn’t bothered, a certain full back walked up; I couldn’t say anything, bar a squeak! He signed my programme, and this is where I found that professional rugby players, such as the Bath boys were kind, gentle chaps off the pitch. This is why I love rugby and Bath (& Worcester). During the journey home, I beamed and gushed about my meeting. I am surprised I wasn’t thrown out of the car!

A few years on………….

Worcester into the Premiership etc. etc.

This will be our 9^th competitive encounter with Bath. Despite some ‘interesting’ refereeing decisions (no names mentioned – Rosey, Berdos!!) Bath and Worcester have had fair games against each other, which shows that both sets of players are mature (off field incidents we won’t count ). Bath have possibly the best under-rated DOR currently coaching in the Northern Hemisphere, whilst Worcester have one with a great wealth of experience and success behind him. Bath’s front row could almost be as iconic as the ABC club of Leicester, it will be hit by International call-ups & ‘suspension’, but is still up there with the best in the League. Although Matt Perry has since retired from playing rugby, Bath continue to produce great backs players such as Bananaman, Bendy & Crockett and also managed to make a better player out of Higgins than we had achieved at Worcester. Bath’s first team is as good as any other in the Premiership and is difficult to see any weaknesses, even when they do have players away on International Duty!

Worcester have many well documented injuries, with Sam & Chris P out for the season, Chris Latham hopefully back this week from headbutting a Lobbe (on his knee!), along with potential cover in all back positions from loan signing Willie Wonka (sorry I mean Walker!), Marcel appears to back into the groove in just one game, and Rico on the other side gives Worcester plenty of potential on the attack – We just need to get the ball there in the first place, which is certainly not going to be easy against ‘my team’ – whoops,  sorry I am a Worcester supporter aren’t I?! It appears that Ras will most likely be partnered by Loki in the centre, as Hal is struggling with a calf injury. Scrum half will most likely be occupied by Powell, which one? Beats me, they both have plenty to offer but are very different styles. Fly half is most likely going to be young Joey’s position, whilst Matt Jones finishes his recovery from his broken foot/ligament injury – I know how that feels because he copied me just after I did the same with mine!

The Worcester pack this season, appears to have struggled to come to terms with the ELVs more than most Premiership sides. Differences of opinions with the inconsistent refereeing could well be the cause of that, but that’s a discussion for another day! Matt Mullan & Dave should alongside Aleki, so scrummaging power could very well be in ‘our’ favour (see, I am a Worcester fan, honest!!). Will Bowley appears to heading in the right direction, continually improving alongside Greg, and we can’t forget the friendly giant Craig and Graham Kitchener who will be on under 20s duty. Worcester’s back row is an area that the club has been blessed with recently with the emergence of the youngsters, though injuries have limited their opportunities in the first team. Captain Pat will be leading the way, and we would expect him to be alongside Natalie & Kai.

The bench will most likely consistent of my cat (no, not Mike Catt! Morris for those in the know!), Fortey, the other Powell, and Charlie Fellows.

So, there we have it, my first match preview (though as I am sure you may have noticed, the actual match preview I was ‘assisted’ with)

Prediction – 14-14, well it is February 14^th after all!

MOTM – Dale Rasmussen

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