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Six European debutants named by Bath for Treviso trip
By Jon Newcombe
Bath Head of Rugby Johann van Graan has made wholesale changes to the squad that went down 24-20 to La Rochelle last weekend for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup clash against Benetton.
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Rising star and England U20 prop Vilikesa Sela starts in a new-look front row and is joined in the pack by another European newcomer, Ethan Staddon. Regan Grace, meanwhile, makes his second senior appearance, and his first in Europe, on the right wing.
Three other players could experience European rugby for the first time if they step off the bench: hooker Kepu Tuipulotu, scrum-half Tom Carr-Smith and centre Louie Hennessey.
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Bath will be captained from No8 by Miles Reid, who is one of only four players to keep their place in the starting XV. The others are full-back Tom de Glanville, scrum-half Louis Schreuder and centre Cam Redpath.
Orlando Bailey is handed the task of steering the ship at fly-half with Finn Russell rested.
The game takes place at Stadio Monigo di Treviso, kicking off on Sunday 15 December at 13:00 (GMT).
Bath Rugby v Benetton: 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Vilikesa Sela, 4 Ewan Richards, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Ethan Staddon, 8 Miles Reid ©, 9 Louis Schreuder, 10 Orlando Bailey, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Max Ojomoh, 14 Regan Grace, 15 Tom de Glanville.
Replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Louie Hennessey, 23 Jaco Coetzee.
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