- Players Returning: Ollie Lawrence, Sam Underhill, Guy Pepper.
- Teams: Bath vs Edinburgh.
- Competition: Champions Cup pool match.
- Bath Goal: Secure top spot.
- Outcome Aim: Home last-16 match.
Edinburgh (Edinburgh Daily News) January 15, 2026 – Ollie Lawrence, Sam Underhill and Guy Pepper return as Bath target top spot in their Champions Cup pool.
Thomas du, a springbok prop After missing last weekend’s victory over Castres, Toit, who will leave the team in the summer, is back in the front row.
Joe Cokanasiga is back on the wing, and replacements include Ted Hill and Santi Carreras.
Max Ojomoh and Lawrence are paired in midfield, while Finn Russell and Ben Spencer remain at half-back.
Bath leads Pool Two prior to the last round of games, one point ahead of Edinburgh, while Toulon, a French team, is in third.
Magnus Bradbury, Pierre Schoeman, Liam McConnell, and Wes Goosen have all been rested by Edinburgh for the trip to The Rec.
After Scotland international Duhan van der Merwe was sidelined due to a calf issue, winger Malelili Satala will make his debut.
Piers O’Conor replaces the injured Matt Currie in midfield, while Ewan Ashman replaces Harri Morris at hooker.
Bath: De Glanville; Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Molony, Pepper, Underhill, Barbeary; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Lawrence, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (capt).
Frost, Van Wyk, Griffin, Hill, Reid, Carr-Smith, Carreras, and Redpath are the replacements.
Whitcombe, Ashman, Blyth-Lafferty, Hunter-Hill, Young, Dodd, Douglas, Muncaster, Paterson, Graham, O’Conor, Lang, Satala, Thompson, and Vellacott (capt).
Morris, Jones, Hill, McVie, Boyle, Shiel, Healy, and Brown are the replacements.
How will Edinburgh likely adjust after resting Magnus Bradbury?
Edinburgh Rugby will probably promote Luke Crosbie to No. 8 to replace rested captain Magnus Bradbury, using Crosbie’s leadership experience from previous URC games and his explosive carrying.
This adaptation maintains physicality against Bath’s Ollie Lawrence and Sam Underhill, with openside cover from arising gift Freddy Douglas or Ben Muncaster stepping up.
Resting Bradbury preserves him for URC knockout pushes post-Champions Cup, trusting the team’s depth from last season’s recovery under Sean Everitt. A palm or perk point secures pool progression anyhow, prioritizing team gyration over all- eschewal threat against Bath’s internationals.
