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Premiership 24/25 - Playoffs

Barf Rugby Starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer ©, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Max Ojomoh, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville

Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Ciaran Donoghue, 23 Josh Bayliss
 
Actually starts at £60 minimum for unallocated standing or worst seats imaginable in the corner by the urinals and chemical toilets. "Bronze" tier seating starts at £80!
That's what's called "lying" given that there were plenty of seats at £45 for adults.


Anyway, Bath seem to be (as ever) living rent-free in the heads of Bristolians, with the likes of Genge talking about frank hatred, Harding putting emotion at the forefront, Lam complaining about... anything he can think of, and (as ever) childishness from so many Bristol supporters.

For me, rugby derbies should be more like a sibling rivalry; you want to beat them the most, because they mean the most to you, but it's a rivalry built through love, not hatred.

TBH, even then, I don't consider Bristol to be our biggest rival (they definitely see us that way) - I'd place Gloucester and Leicester as matches I'm more desperate to win (whilst also wishing Gloucester well against anyone-but-Bath).

To me, the Bath v Bristol rivalry feels more like sibling rivalry with a notable age difference - with Bristol caring most about Bath, but Bath acknowledging that, but being busy with "bigger" rivalries.
A bit like England v Wales/Scotland/Ireland; or away from rugby, like France v Belgium, USA v Canada or Australia v NewZealand.
But then, whilst I have a fair few Bristolian friends, I don't live there, and don't interact with them on a daily basis any more. Maybe I'm also privileged in that the Bristol supporters I actually know, tend to agree that it's a friendly and respectful rivalry.
 
That's what's called "lying" given that there were plenty of seats at £45 for adults.
Not in the Bristol season ticket allocation email I had sent through. Even then, £45 is still massively over priced. How do boots taste, by the way?

Keep lying about the rivalry though, such a funny pretence you've kept up for years. Always brings a laugh whenever it's brought up in IRL discussions. See you tomorrow x

(or not, because pricing and unsuitable facilities for chronic illnesses but there in spirit. MSC be damned)
 
And yet the seats themselves, in the Bristol allocation, started at £45 for adults.
If your club is lying to you, try taking it up with them.

Well, count me surprised that a childish subscriber to a one-sided rivalry sees things through the lens of a childish one-sided rivalry.
Meanwhile, the grow-ups are trying to have a conversation.

As mentioned before - I was priced out of live rugby over a decade ago. I didn't ***** about it though, because there are enough people who weren't (and aren't) priced out to still sell out the stadium.
 
Wave Hello GIF
 
Sale Sharks Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14.Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma'asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. George Ford 9. Raffi Quirke, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Tom Curry, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. JL du Preez.

Replacements:
16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Ben Bamber, 20. Dan du Preez, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Luke James, 23. Tom O'Flaherty.


Not happy with Raffi starting, but other than that the side picks itself tbh - maybe they don't want him erratic off the bench to close out a game?
 
Baths recent record against Bristol is pretty poor. It feels like the England - Scotland matchup, they seem to have our number and the rivalry is much more 1 sided, although that's probably changing in the same way it is with Scotland given how frequently we have lost to them.

Against most teams I'd be confident but I'm not with Bristol. I just have a feeling we're going to bottle it, but will happily be proven wrong
 
Baths recent record against Bristol is pretty poor.
IMO, it's that they're the team who are most up for it against us (like Wal/Sco/Ire against England) whilst we don't have the same emotional investment in them (like England against Wal/Sco/Ire).
It's also that under Lam, they're probably the best placed team to capitalise on our weaknesses (or certainly our weaknesses under JvG - obviously, under Hooper and Blackadder, our weakness was... playing rugby). We're not great at defending wide; especially if a team goes from one width to the other. We're okay, but not great, at playing fast and loose, a broken-field, off-the-cuff game.
The October loss at the rec makes me think of Eng v Aus final RWC'91 - if we do what we do, we really ought to win (whilst still being vulnerable out wide). If we let them get in our heads, and try to show that we can do what they do, they're simply better at it than us.
 
The Bristol returned ticket thing is bizarre. Maybe some of their fans will be in other areas, but its still likely to be a small representation in a modest sized ground.

They’ve averaged 18,000 at Ashton Gate and, irrespective of facilities and pricing, isn’t a local derby semi final the kind of tickets fans would usually be killing to get hold of? Some of the ticket prices sound a bit lively, but Brizzle will still have plenty who can afford that.

Or is it partly a case that the Bristol fans mirror their team in seeming a bit more concerned with the entertainment and experience than the winning? Are many more experience consumers than rugby fan(atic)s?

Should also acknowledge that while Friday night rugby looks great on TV, it’s also not great for away fans who might have work commitments etc.

And it’s Bath on a Friday. Rain is guaranteed.
 
Wearing my Bath top around Tewkesbury - I've had people wishing us good luck for this evening!
In Leicester you'd be asked if you've got any change. Eastern district of Northampton if you've got a spare fag.

Tewkesbury is probably more like an Inspector Morse episode minus the murders.
 
In Leicester you'd be asked if you've got any change. Eastern district of Northampton if you've got a spare fag.

Tewkesbury is probably more like an Inspector Morse episode minus the murders.
Nah, Tewkesbury is NOT posh - near the Cotswolds, not of the Cotswolds.
Most definitely a strong Gloucester supporting area though.
 

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