Biarritz v Bath preview
Olly Barkley will start at inside centre for Bath in Saturday's Heineken Cup semi-final.
Biarritz v Bath
Heineken Cup semi-final, Estadio Anoeta, San Sebastian, Saturday April 22, live on Sky Sports 2 from 14.30
Chris Malone will start at fly-half for Bath in their Heineken Cup semi-final against Biarritz, with Olly Barkley moving to inside centre.
Barkley (pictured) was outstanding at number 10 in the Premiership victory over fierce local rivals Bristol last week, but Malone has played well at stand-off in Bath's run to the semi-finals.
Bath head coach Brian Ashton has made two changes from the side which knocked Leicester out in the quarter-finals.
Skipper Steve Borthwick, who was injured for the 15-12 victory over the Tigers at the Walkers Stadium, returns to the second row in place of James Hudson.
Ashton has also made a switch in the back-row, recalling flanker Michael Lipman instead of Welsh international Gareth Delve.
There is also a place on the bench for highly-rated Samoan centre Eliota Fuimaono.
Biarritz will be without captain Thomas Lievremont, who is sidelined because of a groin injury. In Lievremont's absence, hooker Benoit August will skipper the side.
Bath's style - and fortunes - have been transformed since Ashton returned to the club in November and Barkley is adamant that they will be going out to attack the French league leaders.
"One thing I've learnt over the past couple of months is that it requires an enormous amount of strength and courage to go out and play the way we want to play big games," said Barkley.
"I think it is important we can go out there and just play our way. To my mind, that means doing the right thing at the right time, it doesn't mean running the ball whenever we can.
"But if the right thing to do is kick the ball into the corners on their 22, or run the ball from our own line, then that is what we do.
"The boys have been encouraged to attack the ball and take our opportunities."
Biarritz Olympique: 15 Nicolas Brusque, 14 Jean-Baptiste Gobelet, 13 Philippe Bidabe, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Sereli Bobo, 10 Julien Peyrelongue, 9 Dimitri Yachvili; 1 Denis Avril, 2 Benoit August (capt), 3 Census Johnson, 4 Jerome Thion, 5 David Couzinet, 6 Serge Betsen, 7 Thierry Dusautoir 8 Imanol Harinordoquy.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Noirot, 17 Benoit Lecouls, 18 Olivier Olibeau, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Julien Dupuy, 21 Frederico Martin Arramburu, 22 Benjamin Dambielle.
Bath Rugby: 15 Michael Stephenson, 14 Andrew Higgins, 13 Alex Crockett, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 David Bory, 10 Chris Malone, 9 Nick Walshe; 1 Taufa'ao Filise 2 Lee Mears, 3 Duncan Bell, 4 Steve Borthwick (capt), 5 Danny Grewcock, 6 Andrew Beattie, 7 Isaac Feaunati, 8 Michael Lipman.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Dixon, 17 David Barnes, 18 Gareth Delve, 19 Peter Short, 20 Salesi Finau, 21 Andy Williams, 22 Eliota Fuimaono.
