Bath Rugby were back in action this afternoon, for their first fixture since their defeat in the Premiership Final last June.
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The blue, black and whites took on an impressive Munster side, with the Irish province beaten by a narrow three point margin.
The second half introduction of talisman Finn Russell and debutant Tyler Offiah proved critical, as Bath forged a second half comeback to win the pre-season fixture 24-21.
Offiah impresses on debut:
Amongst the assortment of new faces in blue, black and white, Tyler Offiah left the biggest impact upon his new fans.
The wing was a threat as soon as he crossed the whitewash for his second half inclusion, and took only seven minutes before becoming a Bath Rugby try-scorer.
Offiah showcased his phenomenal pace along the touch-line for the try, but later in the match there were signs of an enticing partnership with his fly half Finn Russell.
There were a couple of occasions when Bath were unable to dent the Munster red-brick, with Russell looking across to the young speedster to run on to a cross-field kick.
Aware of the young flyer’s danger in the back-field, the Scot sent a handful of kicks into Munster’s territory, with Offiah eagerly chasing down the loose balls.
This could certainly be a tactic Bath fans see deployed throughout the upcoming Premiership season, as the son of rugby league hall of famer Martin Offiah finds his feet at the Rec.
Bath have confirmed four huge signings for the 2024/25 Premiership season
Bath’s recent spending spree shows no sign of slowing down with the black, blue and whites having already confirmed four signings for next season.
#1. Guy Pepper
The 20-year-old joins the Blue, Black and White from Newcastle Falcons.
The 20-year-old, former England U20s back row has agreed to join Bath Rugby for the start of the 2024/25 season initially until the summer of 2027.
Hailing from Harrogate, Pepper is a product of the Newcastle Falcons Academy having made 22 appearances for the North East club.
In his first seven appearances for Falcons, the commanding 6ft 3in back rower scored three tries in his 2022/23 breakthrough season.
Bursting onto the international scene earlier this year after playing for England A in their victory over Portugal in February, Pepper was named in Steve Borthwick’s England training squad for their Guinness Six Nations finale against France.
Pepper comes from a strong rugby family, with his father Martin being an ex-Harlequins player, and brother Max representing Great Britain in Sevens code.
He is also completing a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Durham which he will complete remotely on a part-time basis during his time at Bath.
Head of Rugby, Johann van Graan, said:
“Guy is one of the most talented and exciting back rowers in the English game. His hunger to improve and develop is evident and I believe he will be a big part of our team in the years to come.”