MILES Reid hopes he and the rest of Bath’s up-and-coming talent make the most of their chance to impress when the Premiership Cup gets under way.

After back-to-back European fixtures following the opening six rounds of league action in the Premiership, a third competition takes centre stage over the next three weeks.

Bath host Harlequins on Saturday before further Pool One games against Exeter Chiefs and Newcastle Falcons after that.

Like the Anglo-Welsh Cup before it, the Premiership Cup is likely to be a breeding ground for the next generation of players at top-flight clubs, and 20-year-old back-row player Reid will be amongst those getting one of their first senior run-outs in Blue, Black and White this weekend.

“It gives the chance for some of the boys who haven’t maybe played as much to come in and put their hand up and show the coaches what they can do,” said Reid.

“It is a great competition and across these three games, if we come out of each of them with a good result, it is going to lead us back into the Premiership well when some of the other boys come back from their breaks.

“I have played one other game this season after coming off the bench, so it will be great to get back out there, especially at The Rec.

“It is a great opportunity for players who are catching their form up or coming through the ranks.”

Bath head into the match on the back of a thrilling 35-35 draw away at Wasps in the European Champions Cup last weekend.

Although the visitors had led 21-7 at half-time at the Ricoh, the result was still a positive response to the previous agonising defeat at home to Toulouse.

Reid added: “We were really good in areas and in the first half we blew them off the park but small areas let us down.

“We just need to fix the small things from that but we will be able to bounce back pretty quickly.

“With the nature of the game, you have got to move on pretty quickly because there is a new challenge every weekend.

“We don’t think about what has gone on before too much – we take the learning points out of it but we don’t dwell on what has happened.”