ROSS Batty is relishing the challenge of a battle with Bordeaux Bègles under the Rec floodlights on Thursday night.

Bath go looking to make it six wins from six in their Amlin Challange Cup pool on Thursday (kick-off 7.45pm) and hooker Batty is aiming to help his side clinch top seeding in the knockout stage for the second successive season.

“Bordeaux are a tough opposition. They’ve got a lot of big boys out there and it’s going to be a physical confrontation but we’re looking forward to getting stuck in to them and getting the ‘W’,” said Batty.

“It’s a short turnaround but we’re fully prepared for the task ahead.

“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of playing at the Rec on a Thursday night just yet, so it’ll be a new one but a challenge that we’re all looking forward to.

“It’s a bit more like a Friday night game at the Rec. It always gets going and it’s always a good atmosphere to play in.

“Down in Bath, I’m sure it doesn’t matter what night we play – it’s always going to be packed to the rafters every week, which is testament to the fans.

“We want that number one seed and we’re working hard for that.”

Batty got some much-needed game time as Bath guaranteed themselves a place in the quarter-finals with a fine 13-30 victory at Newport Gwent Dragons last weekend.

He added: “We had a good game over there. It was always going to be a tough afternoon at Rodney Parade and the Dragons always make it a hard afternoon out there and they do get stuck in.

“They look to make you make mistakes with their aggressive defence but I thought the boys stuck to the task.

“With having such a big squad and such a strong squad, you need time on the pitch. We’ve been very good this year and the coaches make sure that you get that time out there.

“You need to be match-sharp and being that little bit off might not be what you want.

“Everyone is buying in to our squad mentality and we’re really grafting in every competition. We want to keep our heads down and keep working hard.

“We’re happy with what we’re doing and we’ve got another game on Thursday night that we’re looking forward to.”

Tickets are still available for Thursday night’s game, and with groups of four or more getting 50 per cent off. Call 0844 448 1865 or pop into the Ticket Office on Pulteney Bridge.

Bath: 15. Anthony Watson, 14. Semesa Rokoduguni, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Kyle Eastmond, 11. Tom Biggs, 10. George Ford, 9. Micky Young, 1. Paul James, 2. Rob Webber, 3. Anthony Perenise, 4. Stuart Hooper (captain), 5. Dominic Day, 6. Matt Garvey, 7. Francois Louw, 8. Leroy Houston.

Replacements: 16. Ross Batty, 17. Nathan Catt, 18. Kane Palma-Newport, 19. Ryan Caldwell, 20. Mat Gilbert, 21. Peter Stringer, 22. Ollie Devoto, 23. Matt Banahan.

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