Rugby

Justin 'The Plank' Harrison is ready to walk the walk this season - starting in a white-hot west country derby between two of English rugby's fiercest rivals.

A place in the Bath second row for the Guinness Premiership clash against Bristol awaits the 34-year-old on Sunday, when the European Challenge Cup holders begin life without last season's captain Steve Borthwick, and whose revered second-row partner Danny Grewcock will be another notable absentee.

Harrison said: "I want to carry on playing professional rugby as long as I can, and I want to finish my playing career playing absolutely the best rugby I can possibly expose myself to."

He added: "I could have gone home to Australia and played back there, but when it became clear that Steve Borthwick was leaving Bath, I made contact with Steve Meehan (Bath head coach) to see what the possibilities were.

"I want to go out for Bath and expose myself to risk and competition, with the target of establishing myself as one of the top second-rows in the Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup.

"I want to keep testing myself, and I have come to Bath feeling I still have a lot that I want to achieve in the game and something to offer.

"Even though I am coming to the end of my career, I don't want it to peter out into a downward spiral."