Event of the Day: Bath v Wasps

Our event of the day is the Premiership Rugby game between Bath and Wasps at the Recreation Ground in Bath. Bath sit in fifth spot in the league with 30 points from 11 games, just outside the play off places. They will welcome a home fixture after two away defeats – to leaders Exeter Chiefs (42-29) and to Sale Sharks (32-9) on Saturday. Wasps are third-placed in the league, with 34 points after the first half of the championship. They are on a great run of five straight league victories, including Saturday’s 49-24 home triumph over Gloucester.

Both sides will look to end the year on a high note, but also raise their confidence levels ahead of their decisive matches in the group stage of European Rugby Champions Cup in January. Wasps will want revenge for the 25-9 home defeat to Bath in October, when they were going through a poor run of form. Bath hooker Tom Dunn is currently the league’s 2nd best tackler with 149 tackles whereas Wasps’ Willie Le Roux leads the league with nine assists for tries. One of the more interesting player matchups is in the respective back threes, with Marcus Watson playing on the Wasps wing and his brother Anthony Watson at full back for Bath. A highly entertaining match between two ambitious sides is expected this afternoon.

 

Honourable mentions around the globe go to the 1st T20 game between New Zealand and West Indies at the Saxton Oval in Nelson. New Zealand have previously won both of their Test matches as well as all three ODIs, the last being their triumph at the Hagley Oval by 66 runs. It’s day 4 of the fourth Test match of the 2017-18 Ashes series between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The PDC World Darts Championship continues at Alexandra Palace in London. In the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder face the Milwaukee Bucks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. In the NHL, the Dallas Stars take on the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. In the Big Bash League, the Melbourne Renegades welcome the Perth Scorchers to the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne. In College Football, it is the Sun Bowl between NC State and Arizona State at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas; as well as the Cotton Bowl Classic between USC and Ohio State at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

 

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

 

Fixture

 

Photos by Premiership Rugby