A return to playing a couple of preseason matches building to the start of the Gallagher Premiership with the away match at Harlequins.
I recall playing Bedford in the PREM Cup a couple of years ago when the Championship Clubs were admitted and we played Bedford and Ampthill. Their league has been rebranded “Champ Rugby”, presumably by the same marketing company that imaginatively rebranded the The Premiership Cup as the PREM Cup!
Two years ago, when we won the PREM Cup, we beat Bedford at Goldington Road 7 – 21 and then again at the Rec 43 – 26. So, in these two matches our young squad managed the double. Then in March of this year as part of a warm-up for the business end of the 2025 - 26 season we played a “friendly” and won 94 – 14! Not much of a friendly, and in contrast to the previous season Bath went full on, to put some game time into the senior players legs at the end of the Six Nations.
Bedford is an illustrious club with a long history. They have been in the top league on three occasions the last time being in the 1999 – 2000 season. They won the RFU Knockout Cup in 1975. But have now been a fixture in the second league for some time as I believe they have said they do not wish to be considered for promotion as they are stable, both on and off the pitch. They believe that joining the Premiership might well disrupt that!
A bit of interesting miscellany which piqued my interest, in 1905 Bedford played the All Blacks losing 41 – 0!
To the current day I believe the match against Sale on Sunday which Bath lost 50 – 28 whilst only losing 17 – 14 at half time having led for much of the first half, will prove to be very educational for a very young side. Any of these players could play in the Bath first team if they were playing with the bulk of the first team squad.
The match against Bedford will I believe have a combination of players returning from injury, Will Stuart and Will Muir, players who have joined the Club in the Summer, Dan du Preez and Jamie Bhatti and a blend of regular first team players and players who played against Sale on Sunday.
I am sure that the coaching team will be wanting to build to a team playing against Glasgow a week later which will look a lot like the squad selected to play away against Harlequins in the opening match of the Premiership.
So, my go at a squad to play Bedford on Friday night is as follows
1 Beno Obano
2 Tom Dunn
3 Will Stuart
4 Ewan Richards
5 Charlie Ewels
6 Jaco Coetzee
7 Miles Reid
8 Dan du Preez
9 Tom Carr Smith
10 Ciaren Donoghue
11 Henry Arundel
12 Cameron Redpath
13 Ollie Lawrence
14 Will Muir
15 Tom de Glanville
16 Dan Frost
17 Jamie Bhatti
18 Scott Kirk
19 Ted Hill
20 Will Jeanes
21 Bernard van der Linde
22 James Linegar
23 Charlie Griffin
There is no point loading the squad to win as in last March 94 – 14. What is needed is to give as many players as possible proper match time and ensuring that all that they have been working on in training in the past 6 weeks is put to the test. If it all works, the score “should be” 50 to 60 – 0, with the Nil being just as important as the 50 – 60!
A RETURN TO FRIENDL(IES) AT BEDFORD. TEAM UP!
Posted by: Comeonmylovers.co.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 07/09/2026 17:08
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:11:12:45:20 by P G Tips.
BathMatt53 Agree PG, although they may have one strong half (and 15 subs) just to get 40 mins of match time in the legs.
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
Yep, they need a 'Griffin' in there somewhere.
Tyler Offiah
Opinion is based on assumptions, whereas fact is based on observation or research.
BathMatt53 Agree PG, although they may have one strong half (and 15 subs) just to get 40 mins of match time in the legs.
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
Yep, they need a 'Griffin' in there somewhere.
I don't think Griffin or Obano are fit yet based on the last medical update
BathMatt53 Agree PG, although they may have one strong half (and 15 subs) just to get 40 mins of match time in the legs.
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
Yep, they need a 'Griffin' in there somewhere.
I don't think Griffin or Obano are fit yet based on the last medical update
Which one Alfie or Archie?
Tyler Offiah
Opinion is based on assumptions, whereas fact is based on observation or research.
BathMatt53 Agree PG, although they may have one strong half (and 15 subs) just to get 40 mins of match time in the legs.
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
Yep, they need a 'Griffin' in there somewhere.
I don't think Griffin or Obano are fit yet based on the last medical update
BathMatt53 Agree PG, although they may have one strong half (and 15 subs) just to get 40 mins of match time in the legs.
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
Yep, they need a 'Griffin' in there somewhere.
I don't think Griffin or Obano are fit yet based on the last medical update
Which one Alfie or Archie?
Archie
Probably right and Alfie had a run out in Manchester, I'm not sure we will go that strong against Bedford, they are a decent Champ side and have their moments but how does it help pros if they dominate their opposite numbers in games like this.
Closer to parity and everyone knows what to work on. PG is probably on the money with Billy Sela.
Tyler Offiah
Opinion is based on assumptions, whereas fact is based on observation or research.
Thing is we need to give the squad some game time.
We will pick our strongest team against Harlequins, and we will pick a very strong side against Glasgow......so the squad against Bedford should not be the PREM Cup side but a notch above that.
It would be logical to play Will Stuart, Bernard van de Linde and Will Muir.....next we should also play Jamie Bhatti and Dan Du Preez as the new boys.....
Bath Rugby: 1 Claudius Wheeler, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Arthur Green, 7 Miles Reid (c), 8 Dan du Preez, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 Ciaran Donoghue, 11 Henry Arundell, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville
Replacements (alphabetical): Jack Bennett, Ieuan Davies, Tom Dunn, Ioan Emanuel, Austin Emens, Jack Harrison, Louie Hennessey, Will Jeanes, Scott Kirk, James Linegar, Max Pearce, Ewan Richards, Will Roue, Jasper Spandler, Will Stuart, George Timmins, Kepu Tuipulotu, Bernard van der Linde, Kieran Verden, Jack Woods
Players not yet played in pre-season or PREM Cup: Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti, Jaco Coeteze, Tom DeGlanville, Charlie Ewels, Ted Hill, Billy Sela, Ben Obano. Along with Finn, Ben Spencer, Santi
Bath Rugby: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Henry Arundell, 10 Ciaran Donoghue, 9 Tom Carr-Smith; 1 Claudius Wheeler, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Arthur Green, 7 Miles Reid (c), 8 Dan du Preez
Replacements (alphabetical): Jack Bennett, Ieuan Davies, Tom Dunn, Ioan Emanuel, Austin Emens, Jack Harrison, Louie Hennessey, Will Jeanes, Scott Kirk, James Linegar, Max Pearce, Ewan Richards, Will Roue, Jasper Spandler, Will Stuart, George Timmins, Kepu Tuipulotu, Bernard van der Linde, Kieran Verden, Jack Woods
Excellent to see Will Stuart on for a bit, only had 20mins or so. One nice off load. Almost three teams played tonight. BVDL looks sharp. Oli Lawrence had a better second half, one big hit in defense, but looks like he may have got a bit of pace back (sure he was struggling after Achilles at end of last season).
That was a really shaky start but the difference in class really showed in the second half. I thought Dan Du Preez looked good at 8, Joe excellent under the high ball and looked strong, Henry really pacey, lineout generally good. First 25 minutes need analysing, Bedford made scoring look easy.
Hmm, lets not be going back to that - the Prem teams won't allow us to come back from a 3 try headstart as has happened a few times in the past few seasons...we don't have the bomb squad any more. Hopefully a valuable wake up call before the important stuff starts.
The opening 20 minutes was a worry but it's the first run out for most of these players. I suspect they will have to step up a lot for Glasgow.
Seeing our home shirt in action for the first time and its awful. It looks like there are 3 teams on the park, Bath going forward, Bath defending and the opposition.
brands
Seeing our home shirt in action for the first time and its awful. It looks like there are 3 teams on the park, Bath going forward, Bath defending and the opposition.
Yup as soon as the players bend over or turns the shirt just looks black, with blue black and white stripes only visible then they are upright and facing you/the camera. I guess will get used to it, but a bit disappointing really.
It has to be the worst home shirt ever worn by a Bath team ......
................... by a mile.
Whoever signed off on it should be banned from ever having any involvement in kit design in the future.
That was a dreadful start & although the players are rusty, though presumably Bedford are as well, we’ve seen that far too often, having to play catch up.
The other concern is our centres, both given a 5. Lawrence doesn’t seen to have regained any form. That’s concerning.
We need to get a lot better to have a chance against Quins.
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