Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premiership match.
The play-offs are finally here, marking the pinnacle of the English rugby season. Bath Rugby, who spent the majority of the campaign at the top of the standings, welcome Bristol Bears to The Recreation Ground. The hosts come into the fixture as strong favourites.
Bath Rugby
Despite an impressive season, two of Bath Rugby’s four defeats came against Bristol Bears. The loss in the second round should be viewed in context: heading into Round 16, the squad had already secured first place and fielded a heavily rotated side. That led to a 14:36 loss on the road. Nonetheless, the campaign has been a breakthrough one for the team. For the first time in 21 years, they finished top of the regular season and also claimed two pieces of silverware – the Premiership Rugby Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Bristol Bears
The opening-round victory 36:26 was the only match Bath Rugby lost in the Premiership with their strongest line-up, and only their second defeat overall this season. At the time, Bristol Bears were in exceptional form, suffering just two narrow losses by margins of seven points or fewer across nearly two months of autumn action. The team even topped the Premiership standings during that stretch. However, they barely scraped into the top four, aided in part by a win over a rotated and unmotivated Bath Rugby squad.
Bath Rugby vs Bristol Bears Prediction
Expect a very different Bath Rugby side on Friday – backed by their home support and targeting a treble. However, Bristol Bears have already proven they can beat this team and won’t be easy opponents. This should be a tightly contested semi-final, likely going the distance, with the margin of victory unlikely to exceed 10 points.
