Match Preview: Bath target first win against unbeaten Toulon
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Bath Rugby seek their first EPCR Challenge Cup win of the season as they await the visit of unbeaten Toulon on Saturday.
Bath will know how tough a task they face – they lost 7-29 in France last month, leaving them with successive defeats in Pool A after they were beaten 22-19 at home to Glasgow Warriors in Round 1.
Toulon, meanwhile, are second in the pool, with a 24-21 win at Zebre Parma preceding their commanding victory over Bath in Round 2.
Since then, Bath have had some mixed form, picking up only one win in their last three Gallagher Premiership matches, though Toulon have only managed the same record in the TOP 14.
The match kicks off at 15:15 (UK & Irish time) at the Recreation Ground, and can be watched on Viaplay-Premier Sports or FloRugby.
Guess who’s back…
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) January 9, 2023
Here’s the lie of the land heading into #ChallengeCupRugby R3 this weekend ⬇️ https://t.co/JjPPmldGIp
Key quote:
Bath hooker Niall Annett: “”It’s a big game and we’ve treated it very much like that, it’s a cup final of sorts. It’s one that we’re building heavily towards and has been a big focus in training in the week.”
Bath Rugby
- Bath have been a nuisance at 51 rucks – more than any other team.
- Bath have made the joint-fewest clean breaks in the competition (three).
- Bath are the only team in the tournament who have not stolen a single opposition lineout.
RC Toulon
- Toulon have beaten the most defenders in the tournament so far. Aymeric Luc and Gervais Cordin have beaten ten each.
- Toulon’s lineout success rate of 97 per cent is the best in the competition. Four of their seven tries so far have started from lineouts.
- Toulon are the only team to have been awarded a penalty try from a scrum. They have won eight scrum penalties so far, equal with Cardiff Rugby.
