Preview: Bath vs. Gloucester Rugby

Two local rivals meet in the Aviva Premiership on Friday as Gloucester Rugby travel to the Recreation Ground to face Bath.

The home side, who currently sit in seventh place in the table, come into the match on the back of a narrow 25-23 defeat at Northampton Saints last weekend.

Meanwhile, Gloucester moved into the playoff places thanks to a 29-23 triumph over Worcester Warriors one week ago.

The big team news is that fly-half Freddie Burns returns for the visitors after missing the last five matches with a knee injury.

The England international is one of three changes for Gloucester as Mike Tindall and Nick Wood both come into the starting lineup.

Paul James, David Wilson, Francois Louw and Matt Banahan have all been recalled by Bath.

Recent form

Bath: WWWWWL

Gloucester: WLLWLW

Lineups

Bath: Abendanon, Agulla, Banahan, Eastmond, Biggs, Heathcote, Stringer, Skirving, Fearns, Louw, Attwood, Day, Wilson, Webber, James Replacements: Batty, Catt, Perenise, Spencer, Gilbert, Claassens, Vesty, Rokoduguni

Gloucester: Cook, Sharples, Trinder, Tindall, May, Burns, Robson, Kalamafoni, Qera, Savage, James, Lokotui, Harden, Dawidiuk, Wood Replacements: Edmonds, Murphy, Chistolini, Buxton, Hazell, Lewis, Mills, Thomas

Sports Mole says: Gloucester to snatch the points