Preview: Bath vs Leicester Tigers - prediction, team news, lineups

Bath invited Leicester Tigers to the Recreational Stadium connected Saturday day for the last gameweek of this year's regular Premiership Rugby season.

The Blue, Black and Whites fell to a constrictive 21-19 decision distant to adjacent rivals Bristol Bears successful their erstwhile fixture, portion the Tigers suffered a damning 35-26 nonaccomplishment against Exeter Chiefs astatine Welford Road.

Match preview

Heading into the last play of the regular season, Bath would person been hoping to person a location playoff semi-final firmly successful their backmost pocket, nevertheless that could not beryllium further from the case.

Despite starring by 12 points astatine the break, Johann van Graan’s broadside fell to a 21-19 decision against fierce rivals Bristol Bears connected Friday night, making it 3 losses successful their erstwhile 4 Premiership matches.

Their disappointing tally of signifier leaves the Blue, Black and Whites lone 2 points supra Saturday’s visitors Leicester, meaning they request to debar decision this play successful bid to beryllium hosting the Tigers, Exeter Chiefs oregon Saracens successful the semi-finals.

However, having won each of their erstwhile 2 matches against Leicester astatine the Rec, Bath volition beryllium assured that they tin instrumentality to winning ways and swat distant their blip conscionable successful clip for the playoffs.

After a tally of 7 wins from 8 Premiership matches, Leicester’s hopes of a playoff decorativeness were enactment into jeopardy connected Sunday day arsenic they suffered their archetypal decision of the play astatine Welford Road.

Despite clawing backmost an 11-point shortage to pb heading into the last 10 minutes, Geoff Parling’s men took thing distant from the crippled arsenic the Exeter Chiefs fought backmost erstwhile much for a monumental bonus-point victory.

Losing retired connected the points was atrocious capable for the Tigers, but surrendering them to the Chiefs made matters worse, with Rob Baxter’s men present lone 2 points down going into the last weekend.  

However, having won some of their encounters with Bath truthful acold this season, Leicester volition beryllium assured that they are susceptible of making it 3 successful a enactment and securing a location semi-final for adjacent weekend.

Bath Premiership form:

Bath signifier (all competitions):

Leicester Tigers Premiership form:

Leicester Tigers (all competitions):

Team News

Bath volition beryllium without Scottish fly-half Finn Russell again this weekend, with the 33-year-old continuing his betterment from a calf issue.

The Blue, Black and Whites person made conscionable 2 changes from the battalion that faced Bristol, with Josh Bayliss and Alfie Barbeary starring either broadside of Sam Underhill connected the backmost row.

van Graan has besides made a mates of changes to his backline too, with Tom de Glanville returning to the fold and Santi Carreras staring astatine fly-half arsenic opposed to full-back.

The Tigers person besides made a brace of changes successful their scrum, with George Martin making mode for Cameron Henderson and Joaquin Moro being replaced by Olly Cracknell.

Gabriel Hamer-Webb has been preferred to Olli Hassell-Collins connected the wing, portion James O'Connor replaces Charlie Titcombe astatine fly-half.

Bath starting lineup:

15 de Glanville, 14 Cokanasiga, 13 Lawrence, 12 Ojomoh, 11 Arundell, 10 Carreras, 9 Spencer; 1 Obano, 2 Tuipulotu, 3 du Toit, 4 Hill, 5 Ewels, 6 Bayliss, 7 Underhill, 8 Barbeary

Replacements:

16 Frost, 17 van Wyk, 18 Sela, 19 Molony, 20 Richards, 21 Carr-Smith, 22 Redpath, 23 Reid

Leicester Tigers starting lineup:

15 Pearson, 14 Radwan, 13 Wand, 12 Bailey, 11 Hamer-Webb, 10 O'Connor, 9 van Poortvliet; 1 Smith, 2 Blamire, 3 Heyes, 4 Henderson, 5 Chessum, 6 Liebenberg, 7 Reffell, 8 Cracknell

Replacements:

16 Clare, 17 van der Flier, 18 Hurd, 19, Martin, 20 Watson, 21 Bemand, 22 Kata, 23 Perese

We say: Bath 27-15 Leicester Tigers

With some sides experiencing a shaky tally of signifier and warring for presumption successful the last gameweek of the season, Saturday's lucifer astatine the Rec is bound to beryllium an entertaining watch.

Despite sustaining a damning decision to the Bears past weekend, we tin spot Bath bouncing backmost with a bang arsenic they unafraid a location playoff semi-final and the Tigers are leapfrogged by the Chiefs, dropping to 4th place.

>Click present to work the afloat previews of each Premiership Rugby crippled this weekend