Bath Rugby will contest their Premiership semi-final against Exeter Chiefs on Saturday without the influential Scotland international fly-half Finn Russell, who continues to recover from a calf injury. Russell, who has been sidelined for Bath's last two matches, will once again be absent from the entire matchday squad. His place in the starting line-up will be filled by Argentinian international Santiago Carreras, making his fourth start at fly-half this season for the West Country club.
Bath’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, had previously indicated that Russell was in a "great place" but "not perfect" following their victory over Leicester last weekend, which secured second place in the Premiership table. Carreras, more frequently deployed at full-back since his arrival last summer, will anchor an otherwise unchanged Bath back line as they seek to reach a third consecutive Premiership final under Van Graan's leadership.
Meanwhile, Exeter Chiefs make just one alteration to the side that convincingly defeated Saracens 32-12 last week to secure their third-place finish. Number eight Greg Fisilau returns to the starting XV after recovering from a facial injury. He replaces Ethan Roots, who is currently undergoing return-to-play protocols following a head knock sustained in the previous fixture. The Chiefs will, however, still be without England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is expected to miss the remainder of the domestic season following facial surgery.
This means Paul Brown-Bampoe and Campbell Ridl retain their spots on the wings, with former Bath player Olly Woodburn at full-back. The impressive centre partnership of Australian Len Ikitau and England star Henry Slade continues. For Ikitau, this match could mark his final appearance for the Devon club before returning to Australia ahead of the World Cup.
The upcoming semi-final at The Rec presents a contrasting challenge for both teams. Bath, who have consistently been in play-off contention for the past three seasons, are aiming for another final appearance. Van Graan has praised his squad's dedication, stating, "We have a group that continually wants to get better and that is what pleases me the most." For Exeter, this marks their first play-off appearance since 2021, and notably, their first-ever away Premiership play-off fixture, having always finished in the top two during their previous six consecutive Twickenham final appearances between 2016 and 2021. Director of Rugby Rob Baxter described the away semi-final as "a little bit unique" and an "interesting challenge" for the club.
The two sides last met just five weeks ago in the league at Sandy Park, where Exeter secured a comfortable 35-12 victory over Bath, marking their first win against their rivals since December 2022.