By Glen Leat
October 10 2002

Bath travel to Italy to play GR A.N Parma on Friday evening in the opening game of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and although they have made a couple of changes to last week's starting line up, coach Michael Foley has refused to underestimate the challenge and is fielding a very strong team.

GR.A.N Parma are currently top of the Italian Super Ten league having won both of their opening games and are going to be up for the opportunity to put one over on a previous European Cup winner so Bath cannot afford to relax. Parma fly-half, Ruan Nel, may be familiar to some of you as apparently he used to play for Bath, though I am struggling to remember him. The South African-born fly half will line up alongside Italian Internationals Carlos Neito and Lisandro Villagra.

Andy Long returns to the starting line up for Bath having missed the start of the season due to a shoulder injury, however the really good news is seeing Matt Perry pulling on a rugby shirt and being prepared to get in to the thick of the action if required.

This competition may not be important but it can help our team get in to a winning habit and that has to be helpful in the grand scheme of things - it has to be a Bath victory.

Bath Team

15 Olly Barkley, 14 Rob Thirlby, 13 Kevin Maggs, 12 Alex Crockett, 11 Tom Voyce, 10 Mike Catt, 9 Gareth Cooper, 1. Simon Emms, 2 Andy Long, 3 Alessio Galasso, 4 Andy Beattie, 5 Danny Grewcock , 6 James Scaysbrook, 7. Dan Lyle, 8 Nathan Thomas

16 Ross Beattie, 17 Jonathan Humphreys, 18 John Mallett, 19 Chris Malone 20 Matt Perry, 21 Gavin Thomas, 22 Andy Lloyd