Bath Rugby’s fly-half, Finn Russell, has emphasized the team’s focus on securing home matches during the knockout stages of the Champions Cup, aiming to build a strong foundation for their pursuit of the trophy in Bilbao this May.
A victory over Edinburgh Rugby tonight will elevate Bath Rugby—the Blue, Black, and White—to the summit of their pool, ensuring one of the top seedings. This advantage could grant them home ties in both the last 16 and, potentially, the quarter-finals.
Russell remarked, “We still have a long journey ahead. This tournament features the best teams globally. Our goal is to secure home playoff games and then progress from there. However, to genuinely compete at this level, we need to improve beyond where we have been this season.
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“We’re not entirely satisfied with our current performance, which is a positive mindset given our strong positions in both the Premiership and Champions Cup. There’s much more potential within us.”
Key Match Details:
- Fixture: Bath Rugby vs Edinburgh Rugby
- Date: Friday, January 16
- Venue: Recreation Ground
- Kick-off: 8:00 PM
Broadcast Information:
All Investec Champions Cup matches this season are available live on Premier Sports. Fans can stream the game online or watch via Virgin TV, Amazon Prime, or through Sky Sports packages. This weekend’s fixture will be broadcast on Premier Sports 1, with coverage beginning at 7:00 PM.
Subscription to Premier Sports starts at £11.99 per month. Highlights will be uploaded soon after the game to the Investec Champions Cup YouTube channel. For those unable to attend the match, SomersetLive will provide live commentary with build-up, team news, play-by-play updates, reactions, stats, analysis, interviews, and highlights. Additionally, BBC Radio Somerset will offer live audio commentary.
Team Lineups:
Bath Rugby Starting XV:
15. Tom de Glanville
14. Joe Cokanasiga
13. Ollie Lawrence
12. Max Ojomoh
11. Henry Arundell
10. Finn Russell
9. Ben Spencer (Captain)
- Beno Obano
- Tom Dunn
- Thomas du Toit
- Quinn Roux
- Ross Molony
- Guy Pepper
- Sam Underhill
- Alfie Barbeary
Replacements: Dan Frost, Francois van Wyk, Archie Griffin, Ted Hill, Miles Reid, Tom Carr-Smith, Santi Carreras, Cameron Redpath
Edinburgh Rugby Starting XV:
15. Harry Paterson
14. Darcy Graham
13. Piers O’Conor
12. James Lang
11. Malelili Satala
10. Ross Thompson
9. Ben Vellacott (Captain)
- James Whitcombe
- Ewan Ashman
- Ollie Blyth-Lafferty
- Callum Hunter-Hill
- Glen Young
- Tom Dodd
- Freddy Douglas
- Ben Muncaster
Replacements: Harri Morris, Mikey Jones, Paul Hill, Euan McVie, Connor Boyle, Charlie Shiel, Ben Healy, Jack Brown
Match Officials:
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Franco Rosella (Italy), Luca Bisetto (Italy)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)