When Freddie Burns runs out onto the Twickenham pitch on Saturday for the Clash, he won’t be the only person in a Bath shirt to have switched allegiances since last year’s contest.
The fly-half’s mascot for the game, six-year-old Noah Sandham-Bailey, was a Leicester Tigers fan. But when his biggest hero moved from Welford Road to the Rec last summer, he decided to follow suit.
Their blossoming friendship began after Noah’s fifth birthday party, where Burns made a surprise appearance.
The pair have been seen together on plenty of occasions since, including at Twickenham last year.
Noah was at Welford Road back in September supporting Burns and the rest of the Bath team, as the Blue, Black and White recorded a 27-23 victory over their old rivals.
He then travelled down to the Rec for the Anglo-Welsh fixture between the two sides, where Bath again triumphed 33-31.
Noah, who proudly wears the Bath shirt within a family of Leicester supporters, got Burns’ name and number printed on the back, and travelled to the match at Worcester in January to show his idol. The game was broadcast on BT Sport, and at one point the pair were captured together on camera post-match.
Noah now has aspirations to one day play for the Blue, Black and White like Burns, and cannot wait to run out with his hero at Headquarters on Saturday.
