Stung by Wasps and a series of injuries last week, Leinster will bid to get their Champions Cup campaign back on track with a seventh win in eight European meetings with Bath.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 5: Saturday, November 21
BATH (2nd) v LEINSTER (4th), Recreation Ground, 3.15pm (live BT Sport Europe/beIN Sports/Newstalk/highlights TG4)
Team News: The Leinster team to face Bath in round of the European Champions Cup shows eight personnel changes and two positional switches to the side that lost to Wasps last Sunday.
Isa Nacewa returns from injury to captain the province from full-back, with Dave Kearney on the left wing and Fergus McFadden moving from outside centre to the back-three.
Ben Te’o and Luke Fitzgerald, who both missed the 33-6 opening round loss to Wasps, return to start together in midfield for the second time this season.
There is also a change in the province’s half-back pairing as Isaac Boss comes in to replace Eoin Reddan at scrum half. Jonathan Sexton starts once again in the number 10 jersey.
Cian Healy and Sean Cronin come in for Jack McGrath and Richardt Strauss respectively in the front row. Mike Ross is Leinster’s starting tighthead for the third game in succession.
New Zealander Hayden Triggs will start in a European fixture for the first time, featuring alongside Devin Toner in the second row. In the back row, with Sean O’Brien ruled out, Rhys Ruddock comes in at blindside flanker with Jordi Murphy shifting to openside and Jamie Heaslip continuing at number 8.
Meanwhile, Francois Louw will captain Bath from the openside flanker berth as they host Leinster. The South African international is joined in the back row by blindside Matt Garvey and number 8 Leroy Houston.
Welsh World Cup squad member Dominic Day and England’s Dave Attwood start in the second row. Up front, the 23-year-old Nick Auterac and Henry Thomas (24) start either side of Rob Webber at hooker.
Bath Academy graduate Chris Cook and England ace George Ford combine at half-back, with Kyle Eastmond and Ollie Devoto (22) making their fourth consecutive start together in the midfield.
A potent back-three is comprised of wingers Matt Banahan and Semesa Rokoduguni, an England debutant against New Zealand 12 months ago, and full-back Anthony Watson.
BATH: Anthony Watson; Semesa Rokoduguni, Ollie Devoto, Kyle Eastmond, Matt Banahan; George Ford, Chris Cook; Nick Auterac, Rob Webber, Henry Thomas, Dominic Day, Dave Attwood, Matt Garvey, Francois Louw (capt), Leroy Houston.
Replacements: Ross Batty, Nathan Catt, Max Lahiff, Stuart Hooper, Alafoti Faosiliva, Niko Matawalu, Rhys Priestland, Tom Homer.
LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Fergus McFadden, Ben Te’o, Luke Fitzgerald, Dave Kearney; Jonathan Sexton, Isaac Boss; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Hayden Triggs, Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: James Tracy, Jack McGrath, Martin Moore, Dominic Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Luke McGrath, Ian Madigan, Zane Kirchner.
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant Referees: Salam Attalah, Laurent Millotte (both France)
Television Match Official: Bruno Bessot (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Bath to win: 2/5; Draw: 17/1; Leinster to win: 21/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Jordi Murphy (Leinster) – “The lads who were at the World Cup, we were split up into two groups and we got a week on and a week off, so we’re fine. I don’t want to make up any excuses really. The World Cup is gone about a month and we’ve been back in this environment for three weeks now, I don’t think it’s anything to do with a World Cup hangover – it was just a bad performance on the day (against Wasps).
“We just didn’t meet our standards and we got shown up. We know we were already in a tough group and we have put ourselves in an even tougher position now.
“But it is not unheard of, for teams who lost the first game to go on to qualify and so we are no looking further than Bath this weekend, we just have to go on over there and do a job.
“We obviously have to look at ourselves and it is pretty obvious we didn’t turn up on the day and it wasn’t individuals, it was as a collective really and Wasps did turn up and they did a job on us. It is the players’ (responsibility), we were the ones who played the game. We didn’t play to our ability and we didn’t play to our standards and it’s our fault.
“We let ourselves down, we let the coaches down, we let the supporters down. It is just one of those things, we don’t usually get hammered at home and it is not in our DNA to go out and put out performances like that. So it felt like we let everyone down, especially ourselves.
“Bath were missing a few players with the World Cup but they are starting to click now in the last few weeks. They have some serious firepower up front and some lightning quick backs. They’re scoring off the charts at the moment as well, they’re an impressive outfit especially at home.”
Leroy Houston (Bath) – “There’s a storm coming (from Leinster) and it’s up to us to weather it. You can’t take anything away from Wasps for that performance. They played really well and did exactly what needed to be done to win the game.
“But I doubt anyone thought they would win by that margin. Sometimes in rugby things just click and for Leinster, it was one of those days when even the bounce of the ball went against them.
“But that result was probably the worst thing that could have happened for us. We know Leinster are going to come back firing and we know the level we need to reach to win.
“Leinster are packed full of international players and it is always a privilege to put yourself up against someone of Jamie Heaslip’s standing in the game. He really makes Leinster tick.
“But we have got some every exciting players. The coach wants us to play with courage and not be afraid to have a go. It’s up to us to get our game-breakers in the action as much as possible.”
Current Form – Bath – (Aviva Premiership): Won 19-17 at home to Exeter Chiefs; Lost 16-9 away to Wasps; Lost 38-28 at home to Harlequins; Won 45-14 away to London Irish
Leinster – (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 16-9 away to Edinburgh; Won 23-15 at home to Cardiff Blues; Won 37-13 at home to Newport Gwent Dragons; Lost 25-14 away to the Scarlets; Won 23-18 at home to Glasgow Warriors; Won 27-3 away to Benetton Treviso; Won 19-15 at home to the Scarlets; (European Champions Cup): Lost 33-6 away to Wasps
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Champions Cup: Bath – Points: -; Tries: -; Leinster – Points: Jonathan Sexton 6; Tries: –
Previous European Meetings: 7
Saturday, April 4, 2015 – Quarter-final – Leinster 18 Bath 15, Aviva Stadium
Saturday, December 17, 2011 – Pool 3 – Leinster 52 Bath 27, Aviva Stadium
Sunday, December 11, 2011 – Pool 3 – Bath 13 Leinster 18, Recreation Ground
Sunday, January 22, 2006 – Pool 5 – Bath 23 Leinster 35, Recreation Ground
Saturday, October 22, 2005 – Pool 5 – Leinster 19 Bath 22, the RDS
Saturday, January 8, 2005 – Pool 2 – Bath 23 Leinster 27, Recreation Ground
Saturday, October 30, 2004 – Pool 2 – Leinster 30 Bath 11, Lansdowne Road
Match Facts –
– Leinster have won six of their seven matches against Bath, including an 18-15 victory in the 2014/15 quarter-finals
– Bath have never won a match on home soil against Leinster in the European Cup, their only win against the province coming on the road
– Bath have only won two of their 13 matches against Irish provinces in the competition with the last of those victories occurring in 2005
– Leinster have lost only three of their last 17 matches against English opponents in the European Cup (W12, D2), however one of those defeats came just last weekend against Wasps
European Cup Records:
Bath –
2014/15: Reached the quarter-finals
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Reached the semi-finals
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2001/02: Reached the quarter-finals
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1997/98: Champions
1996/97: Reached the quarter-finals
Leinster –
2014/15: Reached the semi-finals
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2011/12: Champions
2010/11: Champions
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Champions
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2006/07: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Reached the semi-finals
2004/05: Reached the quarter-finals
2003/04: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2002/03: Reached the semi-finals
2001/02: Reached the quarter-finals
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool A
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool A
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool B
1995/96: Reached the semi-finals
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