Bears v Bath: Records on the line as player mic makes debut

“I'm naturally quite an emotional bloke but my emotions do run higher during a week like this,” said Dunn.

“It's not a case of telling people what it means to you but showing them. If I put up a video of fights from Bath versus Bristol or Gloucester, I think that's quite a short emotional spike.

“Actually, it’s the little things you do throughout the week where you help each other out and dig in for each other to win at the weekend. That's what builds it and then when you get there, you hear the fans and that’s the emotional spike you need just before the game.”

Dunn has not experienced too many seasons like this during his time at Bath, with the club on course for just a third top-four finish since his debut in 2012.

The hooker extended his stay last year and several others have followed suit, namely England call-ups Will Stuart, Will Muir, and Max Ojomoh just this week alone.

It's been a long road, but the 31-year-old feels the pieces are in place for Bath to rule once more. 

“I have this fear that I'm going to be remembered as someone who played all these games and never won,” he said.

“That's massively driving me. When I think back to my childhood, the greats all won something whether that be in Europe, the Premiership, the Pilkington Cup.

“That won't be the case for me unless you count the A League, so I don’t want to be clutching at straws hanging on to that.

“If you look at the really successful teams recently, Exeter, Saracens, they've been together for 10 years, even the coaching staff, everyone has been together for a long time.

“I think if we can build something special like that here, then I'm so excited to be a part of it.”

All teams will be without their England stars this weekend, but Scotland fly-half Finn Russell is set to feature.

The Bath playmaker was in the spotlight during the eye-opening Six Nations docuseries, Full Contact, and fans will be taken places they have never been before with the "PlayerMic" this weekend.

Fittingly it’s the trail-blazing Bears who will take the honour following their hugely insightful ‘Behind the Bears’ docuseries and the ‘Road to Recovery’ production showcasing AJ MacGinty’s comeback from injury.

This latest innovation is a step into the unknown, but director of rugby Pat Lam feels it’s a vitally important one.

“We have a genuine responsibility because we're in an entertainment business to try and get the game as close to the fans and supporters as possible," he said.

“As a club, we’re open to any innovation, so when they mentioned it to us, we said, ‘no problem.’

“I'll actually be really interested to listen to it as well because we always talk about your communication and the way you speak is crucial as a top rugby player.”

And Bears captain Fitz Harding added his thoughts on what supporters should look out for. He said: “I think the breaks in play are probably the most interesting points where players are able to give slightly more detailed feedback on how they're seeing the game.

“From my perspective, as a young back-rower sitting at home, I’d want to hear every single word that was coming out of Steven Luatua’s mouth, because he's got an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and anything that you pick up is valuable there.

“As a young player or young coach watching the game, a focus on the basics, how you exploit space, how you read an attack, those real key cornerstones of the game need focus.”