EPCR Challenge Cup final: South Africa’s Van Graan takes gold with Bath

Former Springboks assistant coach Johann van Graan’s Bath are the EPCR Challenge Cup title winners, having hammered France’s Lyon 37-12 in Cardiff on Friday night.

Bath, top of the English Premiership, were the favourites to turn form into a title and the win keeps alive their hopes for a historic English treble in a European title, the Premiership and the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Van Graan, who won a World Cup bronze with the Springboks in 2015, worked alongside Springboks and Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer, when at the Bulls as a 16 year-old. He was there when the Bulls won their first Super Rugby title and he was also consistently impressive in his five year spell as head coach at Ireland’s Munster.

But it is at Bath where Van Graan has owned his tenure and turned a traditional box office hit, in Bath, into a modern power.

Bath, so powerful in the amateur era, have struggled to ever impose themselves in the past 20 years of professionalism in the sport.

Van Graan has changed that, and he has not invested in a squad of imports to do so.

The imports he has leaned on have been exceptional. He has selected wisely and recruited as wisely. Scotland’s Finn Russell has been a revelation at Bath and Springboks prop Thomas du Toit has been a presence in playing 49 matches in the past two seasons. Du Toit, a prop comfortable playing on either side of the front row, has done the remarkable in scoring 20 tries in those two seasons.

DU TOIT’S REMARKABLE TWO SEASONS AT BATH

Meyer, in an interview earlier this month, backed Van Graan’s Bath to win on Friday night. He said they were due a title to showcase the value of Van Graan.

VAN GRAAN’S BATH CHASE HISTORIC TREBLE

HEYNEKE MEYER ON JOHANN VAN GRAAN

South Africans Quinn Roux (Bath) and Arno Botha (Lyon) captained the two teams, while Lyon’s coaching staff included South Africans AB Zondagh and Coenie Basson.

Du Toit and Roux aside, Francois van Wyk is also South African.

SA Rugby Magazine live running commentary

Bath scores four tries to two, with Russell kicking 17 points through four conversions and three penalties.

Botha scored a try for Lyon in the 44th minute. Lyon lead after three minutes but that was the highlight of their evening.

Bath, winners 37-12, lead 20-7 at halftime.

BATH RUGBY

Src: keo.co.za