Summary:
Bath will be without their best player for the first time in their history when they face a French side that has been a fixture of the past two seasons.

Full article:
Sam Burgess will make his first rugby union start on Friday night in Bath's European Champions Cup tie against Montpellier. After making two appearances off the bench for the West Country side, Burgess will make his full debut under the floodlights and he will be joined in the starting XV by returning Springboks flanker Francois Louw. It is a must-win fixture for Bath, who have already lost pool games to Glasgow and Toulouse but still have a slim hope of qualifying for the knockout stages. Bath's Sam Burgess attempts to drive through a host of Montpellier players after coming off the bench . 'It's an ideal opportunity to throw both of them in and they will both start,' said Bath coach Toby Booth. 'What Louw will bring is massive defensive pressure at the breakdown. Sam has played 55 minutes so far but he is a bit further down the line.' Burgess, 25, has been in the spotlight since his high profile switch from the South Sydney Rabbitohs. But Booth maintains that the media attention has not been a distraction. 'When you're dealing with one of the best rugby league players on the planet then of course it's going to warrant that sort of attention,' said Booth. 'He's had the same amount of practical jokes played on him as anybody else.' Burgess, pictured tackling Montpellier's Benoit Paillaugue, will start against the French side on Friday .