This time last year, Bath were preparing for their first Premiership final since 2015, but a year on they are hoping to go one better and finally end 28 years of hurt.
The Blue, Black and Whites reached the showpiece event last year, just two seasons on from finishing rock bottom of the table, but eventually fell to a narrow 25-21 defeat to Northampton Saints.
‘The goal was to win the Premiership’
It might not always have been as agonising as a four-point defeat in the big dance in South West London, but missing out on a Premiership title is nothing new for Bath.
The West Country side have not tasted the delights of a league title since 1996, when they pipped Saturday’s opposition, Leicester Tigers, to the trophy.
In that time, the Tigers have won nine Premiership titles, Saracens have won six, Wasps five and Exeter have been promoted to the top flight and gone onto win two of their own, as have Harlequins and Northampton Saints. Elsewhere, Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks have also won one apiece.
But, this Bath side is now a well-oiled, title-winning machine. Johann van Graan’s side have already lifted the Premiership Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup this season, and expertly managed their way through a pumped-up Bristol Bears to book their spot in the final too.
Winning a Cup double is something Van Graan’s charges should be incredibly proud of as well, given their 18-year wait for any form of honours before thumping the Chiefs 48-18 at Sandy Park to lift the Prem Cup in March, but the Premiership title remains the be-all and end-all for them.
“I think that motivation is there for everyone,” said star fly-half Finn Russell. “After losing a final, it’s always quite tough to come back the year after, but everyone came back in good shape and ripped in straight away.
“At the start of the season, the goal was to win the Premiership, and we’ve got into a good spot to hopefully go and do that. That was definitely one of my goals too when I came to Bath, to win some stuff, and we’ve got back to where we want to be but hopefully we can go one step further this year.
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“I came here to win things, and we’re going in the right direction to hopefully achieve something special here. We’re in a good place moving forward.”
The mantra ‘stick to process’ has been sung by many within the Bath camp this season, and the British and Irish Lions tourist detailed that has helped them keep a narrow focus on just what lies ahead of them every week rather than daring to look further down the line.
“When we come back in on a Monday after a game, we just treat every week the same and you almost just tick off the games without thinking how far you are through the season,” he said.
“It’s probably come round quite quickly.”
‘It’s taken a lot of hard work’
Big games are becoming the expectation for Van Graan’s side now, particularly after the past two seasons. In that time, Bath have played in three finals and four semi-finals, with the only defeat coming at the hands of Northampton in last year’s blistering Premiership final.
These experiences have all played their part in getting Bath to where they are now, and club captain Ben Spencer feels they know exactly how to prepare for games of this magnitude.
“Everyone feels different,” said the scrum-half. “This group has been through enough now and played in enough big games to know how the week needs to feel and look.
“It’s going to be a great occasion and one the group is really looking forward to. Our big day of training is done now, and then down to Twickenham.”
Spencer himself has won more Premierships than Bath have in the past 28 years, with the England international winning four with Saracens in his early career, so knows exactly what it takes to build a winning culture at club level.
That’s something Bath have had to build organically, and rather quickly too, given the expectation looming over them, but Spencer detailed how Van Graan has managed to turn them into that winning machine.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work from the group,” he said. “That’s one huge thing that Johann brought in was turning hope into belief, and this group believes now. We believe we can win big games.
“Saturday will be another huge game, and I can’t wait to get out there with the lads knowing each and every one of us has each other’s backs.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/bath-hoping-to-go-one-step-further-in-premiership-final-as-johann-van-graan-turns-hope-into-belief
