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| IMAGE VIA BATH RUGBY |
Stadium – Recreation Ground
Director of Rugby – Todd Blackadder
Captain – Matt Garvey
Last Season – 5th
INS & OUTS
Bath Rugby will be pretty pleased with their transfers for
the 2017-18 season with the swap deal as George Ford rejoins Leicester Tigers
whilst Freddie Burns comes to his boyhood club. Bath’s other marquee signing
comes in the form of highly rated England International Sam Underhill.
INS – Darren Allinson (London Irish), Freddie Burns
(Leicester Tigers), Shaun Knight (Dragons), Josh Lewis (Ebbw Vale), Anthony
Perenise (Bristol Rugby), James Phillips (Bristol Rugby), Sam Underhill
(Ospreys).
OUTS – David Denton (Worcester Warriors), George Ford
(Leicester Tigers), Robbie Fruean (Edinburgh Rugby), Joe Graham (Rotherham
Titans), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), David Sisi (Zebre), Daniel Bowden
(released).
Verdict
Replacing Ford with Burns could be a benefit to Bath in both
attack and now defence. The 27-year-old will coming into his hometown club as
the league’s in-form number 10. Another boost for the blue, black and white’s
is the signing of Underhill, who’s seen as a rising, promising flanker to join veteran
South African Francois Louw.
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| IMAGE VIA PATRICK KHACHFE/ ONSIDE IMAGES |
These two signing’s with the likes of British & Irish
Lions Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph and Toby Faletau, plus a group of young
players like Zach Mercer, Charlie Ewels, Tom Dunn and Tom Ellis gives
Blackadder a mixture of youth and experience.
With plenty of pundits expecting Bath to just miss out on
the top four. However, I disagree and could see this youthful Bath team be a
surprise package and finish inside the top four as long as they improve on
their away form.
Prediction – 4th
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