Georgian Bath and the Avon in early spring sunshine verses Acton and the North Circular: the vibes coming from Bath and Wasps this week ahead of re-arranged fixture that neither dare lose have been as different as the homes of the two clubs.
Bath were upbeat while announcing eight changes from the side that lost to Sale on Friday and are strengthening pretty much every area as they look to pull alongside the leaders, Leicester.
Wasps have already conceded a place in the Premiership play-offs and came close to admitting that a Heineken Cup berth was beyond them as well.Their head coach, Shaun Edwards, said that the Heineken was still a target for the champions of 2004 and 2007, but with only three games left of the regular season after tomorrow and 12 points still to make up on sixth-placed Sale, it sounded like a case of rampant optimism. They also make eight changes, but start with James Haskell and Tom Rees on the bench for the second of their three games in seven days.
"We know what's at stake and we will be playing for pride just as much for points," Edwards said. "Bath will provide us with stern opposition and games between these two sides have always been very competitive and highly charged. We expect no different tomorrow." Last year at the Rec, Wasps scored 22 points in 18 minutes of rare quality to breath new life into a season that had appeared on its last legs. They went on to make the play-offs, become champions and confirm a reputation for being a side which came late. Both title and reputation could go tomorrow , whereas a bonus-point win would see Bath jump above Leicester at the top.
The clubs' seasons could not be more different. Wasps started slowly, got bumped out of the Heineken Cup early and have only recently started to inch up the Premiership table; Bath began the season serenely, playing fantastic rugby until the winter set in, have a Heineken quarter-final up coming and are one of six clubs at the top separated by only six points. "I've never seen a Premiership table the way it is," said Michael Lipman, the Bath captain. "That's a tribute to the competition. It's very tight and pretty unpredictable.
"You can't play well every week. You can't keep having blinders and there will be certain days where the guys will be up for it, that's the way it goes. You can't have a perfect season. We started really well and then in the winter stages… I don't think our team play fantastically well in the wind and the rain when we have to kick it a lot. That's not our game." Wasps, he feels, were unlucky to lose on Sunday against Saracens but feels they are still a Heineken Cup club. "They deserve to be in the Heineken, not the Challenge Cup."
That is as may be, but Bath are doing nothing to help Wasps on their way, bringing back the World Cup-winning fly-half Butch James, the Premiership's leading try scorer Joe Maddock, and the England hooker Lee Mears, who starts alongside the form prop in the country, David Flatman, with Peter Short beefing up the second row. Even better news for Bath is that some of the long-term injured such as the South Africans Michael Claassens and Pieter Dixon will be back soon – scrum-half Claassens possibly in time to play against Harlequins on Saturday and, should Bath get through to the play-offs, Danny Grewcock might also figure. The former England second row has played just four games this season but next week has a screw removed from his damaged foot and is already doing remedial work at Manchester United's training ground.
Bath Abendanon; Maddock, Crockett, Hape, Banahan; James, Bemand; Flatman, Mears, Bell, Harrison, Short, Beattie, Lipman (capt), Faamatuainu. Replacements Hawkins, Jarvis, Hooper, Scaysbrook, Baxter, Berne, Higgins.
Wasps Van Gisbergen; Voyce, Waldouck, Flutey, Mitchell; Cipriani, Simpson; French, Ward, Payne, Shaw, Birkett, Worsley, Betsen (capt), Hart. Replacements Webber, Baker, Skivington, Haskell, Rees, Honeyben, Staunton.
