Finn Russell is relishing a familiar battle as Bath prepare to host Edinburgh in a decisive Investec Champions Cup clash on Friday night.
The Scottish subplot adds extra spice to the Pool 2 showdown at the Recreation Ground, with top spot and potential home advantage all the way to the semi-finals, on the line.
For Russell, the meeting comes just three weeks before Scotland open their Six Nations campaign away to Italy, making the occasion even more intriguing.
“I got a little bit off the Edinburgh players when we played them last season,” said Russell. “It’s all good fun and all part of the game.
“I played against Edinburgh a lot of times when I was at Glasgow and I’ve played with a lot of their players with Scotland. I know these boys from camp so well.”
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The 33-year-old Bath flyhalf expects the rivalry to spill beyond the scoreboard, with bragging rights firmly at stake.
“It’s always good fun playing against boys you know because there’s always bragging rights before the Six Nations. If they win or we win, we wind each other up.
“I imagine there will be a couple of late shots, getting held on the ground – that kind of stuff, which is always the case against players you know.”
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Russell is under no illusions about the size of the mission.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for us and we know what’s coming. Hopefully we’ll do the job on Friday night and we’ve got bit of a plan for them.”
Bath are set to be boosted by the return of England internationals Ollie Lawrence and Sam Underhill, who are expected to be available after missing last weekend’s win over Castres.
– AFP
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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