Bath v Toulon: Champions Cup preview
By Tony Tighe
Last Updated: 23/01/16 2:51pm
Bath head coach Mike Ford has made wholesale changes to his pack for Saturday's visit of Champions Cup holders Toulon to The Rec.
The Premiership side's quarter-final hopes were ended by Leinster last weekend and Ford has replaced six of the forwards who started in Dublin.
Nick Auterac, Ross Batty and Henry Thomas form a new-look front row while Charlie Ewels replaces captain Stuart Hooper at lock.
Scotland international David Denton comes in at blindside flanker, with Guy Mercer named at openside instead of Francois Louw.
England fly-half George Ford is handed the captaincy, while Horacio Agulla starts on the left wing in the only change to a backline that failed to fire last weekend.
Toulon moved top of Pool 5 last Sunday thanks to Drew Mitchell's late try against Wasps but with just one point separating the three-time winners and Dai Young's men, they need to come away from the West Country with a victory.
Mitchell is not named in Toulon's match-day 23 with fellow Wallaby James O'Connor given the nod at full-back.
Maxime Mermoz replaces France outcast Mathieu Bastareaud at centre while Sebastien Tillous-Borde is named at scrum-half.
There is one change in the pack, former Northampton Saint Samu Manoa partnering captain Jocelino Suta in the second row.
Bath: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 George Ford (c), 9 Chris Cook; 1 Nick Auterac, 2 Ross Batty, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Charlie Ewels, 5 Dominic Day, 6 David Denton, 7 Guy Mercer, 8 Leroy Houston.
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Nathan Catt, 18 David Wilson, 19 Tom Ellis, 20 Matt Garvey, 21 Alafoti Faosiliva, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Ollie Devoto.
Toulon: 15 James O'Connor, 14 Josua Tuisova, 13 Maxime Mermoz, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde; 1 Florian Fresia, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 3 Levan Chilachava, 4 Jocelino Suta (c), 5 Samu Manoa, 6 Juan Smith, 7 Steffon Armitage, 8 Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: 16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Xavier Chiocci, 18 Manasa Saulo, 19 Mamuka Gorgodze, 20 Romain Taofifenua, 21 Mathieu Bastareaud, 22 Eric Escande, 23 Thibault Lassale.