Genge back for Bristol as Bath big-hitters return for semi
Gallagher Premiership play-off semi-final: Bath v Bristol BearsVenue: The Recreation Ground, Bath Date: Friday, 6 June Kick-off: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Listen on BBC Radio Bristol & BBC Sounds (live coverage starts at 18:00 GMT), live text on BBC Sport website and app; watch on TNT Sports 1
England prop Ellis Genge returns to the Bristol starting line-up for Friday's Premiership semi-final against Bath having missed last weekend's victory over Harlequins through injury.Genge is one of three changes to Pat Lam's pack with lock James Dun and flanker Steven Luatua also back - Yann Thomas, Pedro Rubiolo and Santiago Grondona drop out - while the backline remains unchanged.Bath boss Johann van Graan unsurprisingly names an entirely different XV to the second-string team that started the 36-26 defeat at Saracens last Saturday. Guy Pepper starts at open-side flanker in place of the suspended Sam Underhill while Ted Hill makes his 50th appearance for the club at blind-side and Alfie Barbeary completes the back row at number eight with Miles Reid on the bench.
Springboks prop Thomas Du Toit, named in the Premiership Team of the Season, starts on the bench for Bath with director of rugby Johann van Graan opting for England and Lions selection Will Stuart at tight-head.Captain Ben Spencer and Finn Russell are restored at half-back while Max Ojomoh partners Scotland international Cameron Redpath at centre and Will Muir, Joe Cokanasiga and Tom De Glanville make up the back three. Another Team of the Season pick, hooker Tom Dunn, and Beno Obano join Stuart in the front row with the established duo of Quinn Roux and Charlie Ewels making up the second row and flanker Josh Bayliss among six forwards on the bench.Bristol boss Lam confirmed on Wednesday that Genge - another Lions selection - and Dun had overcome knocks picked up in training while Luatua is preferred to Argentine international Grondona, who scored twice in Bristol's victory at Bath earlier this season, at blind-side.Lock Joe Batley, also selected in the Premiership Team of the Season, joins Dun in the second row with Fitz Harding leading the team from open-side.The experienced AJ MacGinty starts at fly-half alongside scrum-half Harry Randall while South African Bernhard Janse van Rensburg and James Williams are the centre pairing.Wing Gabriel Ibitoye, the Premiership's joint top try-scorer this season with 13, is joined by Fijian flyer Kalaveti Ravouvou and Noah Heward in the back three.
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Barbeary.Replacements: Annett, van Wyk, Du Toit, Molony, Reid, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Bayliss.
Bristol: Heward; Ravouvou, Van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska, Dun, Batley, Luatua, Harding (c), Mata.Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Lahiff, Rubiolo, Grondola, Marmion, Byrne, Bates.
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