Will Roko Break Sale?

By P G Tips
September 2 2014

Bath travel to Sale on Saturday for their opening Premiership fixture knowing they must do better. Better, that is against this particular club than last year. Sale were one of only two teams to beat Bath both home and away in the 2013-14 season, inflicting both disappointment and embarrassment in doing so. They were the only side to finish below Bath who did not lose both AP fixtures to the Blue, Black & White and their single point win at the Rec in late March seemed to blight Bath’ s season. A combination of cussed defence, controversial referee interpretations and Bath’s own inflexible game plan gave Sale a victory which looked most unlikely for the entire second half. In doing so they ultimately denied a resurgent Bath squad a place in the AP playoffs. The visitors will obviously travel with ample motivation.

That was last season: what of this? Sale, like most premiership clubs, have refreshed their squad over the summer. To offset the departures of Thomas, Gaskell, Peel & Miller they have brought in De Marchi, Hines, Lund, Cusiter and McLean. In most cases that is a trade of promise for experience and a deal which Steve Diamond will be very content with. Bath have been less busy, but have newcomers of their own to welcome – especially up front where Shiels, Auterac & Thomas boost the front row resources. Luke Arscott at fullback has made an encouraging start, but it is too early to say whether he will prove a like-for –like replacement for Nick Abendanon who shone in his farewell season. Sam Burgess meanwhile, still has South Sidney Rabbitohs business to complete and his debut is billed for November at the earliest. So of the two sides, it will probably be Bath who show the fewest new faces on Saturday.

Sale enjoyed a dramatic second half to last season, banishing memories of an early home defeat to strugglers Newcastle with a surge up the table which threatened to catch Bath & Harlequins. Their success was built on an abrasive pack, a simple game plan and a resurgent Danny Cipriani, whose rediscovered discipline and considered tactical choices restored him to England’s squad for the New Zealand tour.

We may not see much flamboyance from Sale in their first home league match- a concentration on possession, territory and goalkicking, backed by a miserly defence was last season’s recipe – but in Cueto, McLean & Cusiter, they have men to exploit a weakness if Cipriani is allowed any space to showcase his flair. They are likely to play a patient game and feed on opposition mistakes, relying on their forwards and the boots of their half backs to dictate the game.

To beat that kind of game Bath must dominate up front as chances to penetrate could be rare. Supporters will be concerned that 10 players who would be expected in a first choice match day 23 have seen little or no game time in the pre season friendlies. Two are involved in the Rugby Championship while Wilson, Attwood, Ford, Watson and others have not been risked while recovering from injury. The starting lineup is therefore a guess at this point, but many of these may make their season start from the bench, unless Mike Ford has been deliberately shielding his hand.

Inevitably, as a new season starts, there are questions. Key for this game are: can Gavin Henson control a game as Bath want from 10? Or-will Ford be risked as a starter? Are the forwards fully prepared for the start of the AP & will the strength in depth work this early in the season? Whose new signings will settle quickest? Can Bath’s back row restrict Cipriani’s game? Indeed – who will form the preferred Bath back row? Can Bath unleash their dangerous backs as they did so well in away fixtures last year at Exeter, Leicester & London Irish?

As always a new start brings new questions, new concerns. For Bath the challenge of the opening matches is steep: last year’s bogey, the newly promoted London Welsh, then last year’s top 3 – a first 5 fixtures designed to generate fear and uncertainty. How will Bath cope? This one they have to win: by whatever means. I am sure they have been planning for this game since the fixtures were announced. It will be close – I will back Bath to start with a win – but do not expect fireworks. One or two points will do & that is what I think we will see

Possible teams:

Bath:
James, Webber, Thomas, Hooper, Day, Fearns, Fa’osiliva, Houston, Young, Henson, Banahan, Eastmond, Joseph, Rokoduguni, Arscott
Bench: Shiels, Dunn, Wilson, Attwood, Mercer , Stringer, Ford, Watson,

Sale Sharks: Lewis-Roberts, Jones, de Marchi, Hines, Paterson, Braid, Seymour, Easter. Cusiter, Cipriani. Cueto, Tuitupou, Leota, Brady, McLean

Replacements: Taylor, Harrison, Cobilas, Ostrikov, Lund, Cliff, Ford, Arscott.

Must Do Better: Sale v Bath 6 September

Discussion started by Comeonmylovers.co.uk (IP Logged), 02/09/2014 22:13

Comeonmylovers.co.uk
02/09/2014 22:13

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:12:12:36:29 by Stuart Anderton.

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Widcombe boy
03/09/2014 08:16

Thanks PG Not going to be easy up there but perhaps the fact that the game is being played Saturday & not the dreaded Friday night may give the boys the edge

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Tiger in the Bath
03/09/2014 12:41

Given how last season finished for both Sale and Bath, and the absence of key personnel from the warm up games for Bath, a neutral observer would expect a Sale and not a Bath win on Saturday.

As you say Bath must do much better to come away with anything other than no points or a LBP.

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BathRugbyRM
03/09/2014 12:55

Bath by 5...

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Peasedown Exile
05/09/2014 14:27

Can see us winning this one, lucky if we get a LBP. Could be a very difficult start to the season. We might get one win out of our first four or five matches.

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Mike the Taxi
05/09/2014 15:02

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