Aviva Premiership
Sam Burgess v Tom Johnson in A-League
ESPN Staff
December 29, 2014
Sam Burgess starts at blindside for Bath © Getty Images
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Bath's Sam Burgess will face arguably the biggest challenge of his union career to date when he faces Exeter and England flanker Tom Johnson in the A-League match at Sandy Park on Monday evening.

The winner of the match at Sandy Park will face Saracens in the semi-final of the A-League and Bath have fielded a strong side which includes cross-code convert Burgess. Burgess has been used sparingly by Bath to date with most of his rugby coming from the bench.

He came off the bench to play in the backs on Saturday in Bath's win over Exeter but he started against London Irish at blindside in last Monday's A-League match, a game in which he scored his first try in union.

And ahead of the match against Exeter, Burgess is named at blindside in a team captained by Charlie Ewels. There is plenty of experience in Bath's backs with Peter Stringer named at scrum-half with England winger Semesa Rokoduguni named on the flank.

For Exeter, Johnson makes his comeback after undergoing neck surgery with Brett Sturgess, Elvis Taione, Dave Lewis, Ceri Sweeney and Fetu'u Vainikolo also named in the Exeter Braves' starting XV.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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