TOM Homer cannot wait to get another taste of the West County derby as Bath Rugby go head-to-head with rivals Gloucester once more.

The two sides have already met once in pre-season as the Cherry and Whites triumphed 50-7 in the opening match of the West County Challenge a fortnight ago.

Battle will resume in the return leg at The Rec on Saturday (5.45pm), with Bath looking to kick-start their summer fixtures following a 59-14 loss at Exeter Chiefs last weekend.

Homer has sat out both pre-season games so far but has fond memories of facing the men from Kingsholm as he was part of the Bath 23 that thumped Gloucester at home in the final fixture of the regular Aviva Premiership season last term.

“I can’t wait to get out there. It’s been a tough pre-season but I’m looking forward to getting back out in a game situation and putting the things we’ve been doing into practice on the pitch,” said full-back Homer.

“I came off the bench against them towards the end of last season and this will be my first chance to start against them.

“I got to soak up the atmosphere then and it’s pretty special, so I am looking forward to being part of that again.

“Bath and Gloucester games are always ones you want to be involved in, no matter when they come around in the season.”

With so many players away on World Cup duty with their international sides, the West Country Challenge was always likely to be a tough one for Bath.

However, it has exposed a host of younger squad members to the rigours of top-end rugby and Homer believes they have all gained a lot from the experience.

“They are four tough pre-season games and we’ve come up against some really good Gloucester and Exeter sides,” said the 25-year-old, who joined Bath from London Irish in February.

“It was always going to be hard for us with the number of players we have away but we’ve gained some useful stuff from them. For some of the younger chaps, it’s going to be invaluable for them.

“It’s good for some of the younger guys to be out there playing.

“It’s a massive squad effort and the guys who aren’t involved every single week are still important because there will come a time when they get called up.”