In fact Bath travel north after losing all of their three opening matches, 19-16 at Bristol, the aforementioned 17-9 home reverse against Northampton and last weekend 40-26 at Welford Road against old rivals Leicester.  Bath managed two tries in this match, through Andrew Higgins and David Bory, but it was only Olly Barkley’s boot that kept them in with a chance until the Tigers pulled away.

 

Despite such form, Bath defeated us in March in our last meeting, leaving Kingston Park with the points after winning one of the most boring matches the sport has ever seen 9-5, our points coming courtesy of Tom May’s first minute try on a cold Easter Sunday.  And Higgins and Bory exemplify Bath’s ideology of blending young potential with international experience.

 

Bory is a French international wing who joined the Southerners in the summer from Castres, and joins Bath legion of internationals which includes Welshmen Andy Williams and Christian Loader, Tongan Salesi Finau, Samoan Isaac Feau’nati and British Lions Matthew Stevens, Danny Grewcock and Matt Perry.  In addition to this, they boast hooker Pieter Dixon, a hooker from the Stormers and to my knowledge the only Zimbabwean-born player in the Premiership.

 

Bath’s collection of England internationals was bolstered this summer with the signing of our own Michael Stephenson, who joined the likes of Steve Borthwick, Olly Barkley, Duncan Bell, Martyn Wood, Michael Lipman, David Flatman and Rob Fidler.  Stevo will not be available to play on Sunday as he is still recovering from a broken leg suffered playing for the Falcons in April, which is a shame as he would have been guaranteed a great reception.

 

Prop David Barnes is another Falcons old boy, arriving at the Rec via Harlequins a few summers ago.

 

With such a talented and deep squad, it is only a matter of time until Bath pull themselves out of the current rot, and they would like nothing better than to do it on Sunday after we won in Bath last September and the controversy of uncontested scrums in March.  However, we are on the crest of a wave after winning our first match of 2005/06 last weekend and will be looking to build on the superb performance at Franklin’s Gardens.

 

Although we are still missing Ian Peel and Phil Dowson through injury, we can look forward to Owen Finegan and Colin Charvis continuing a promising back row partnership and David Walder’s response to Rob Andrew’s challenge laid down this week.

 

History is on our side against Bath at Kingston Park, as we have won seven out of eleven home meetings (although two, in 1998, were played at Gateshead), the first three away wins coming in 1994, 2000, 2002.  And if we capitalise on our good form shown in away games so far rather than repeating the Bristol performance, then we have every chance of a first home win of the season.

 

No Bath team as yet, but the Falcons 22 is:-

 

15 Matthew Burke

14 Anthony Elliott

13 Jamie Noon

12 Mark Mayerhofler

11 Mathew Tait

10 Dave Walder

9 Hall Charlton

1 Micky Ward

2 Andy Long

3 Robbie Morris

4 Andy Perry

5 Geoff Parling

6 Owen Finegan

7 Cory Harris

8 Colin Charvis (captain)

 

Replacements:

 

David Wilson

Matt Thompson

Tino Paoletti

Mike McCarthy

Ben Woods

James Grindal

Toby Flood

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