Bath Magic Books Twickenham Spot

When Bath Rugby delivered their Round 3 victory over the Leicester Tigers by 45 points to nil The Rec delighted, that day the home side secured 5 tries and played with purpose. Yesterday, 12 wins and 245 days later they delivered a performance of a higher order, against a stronger Leicester resistance. Yesterday The Rec absolutely rocked, there wasn’t a seat in the house and I’m sure that the noise could have been heard for miles and the euphoria was deserved for delivering a 47 points to 10 victory in an Aviva Premiership Semi Final is exceptional.  

A word on Leicester before I dive fully into Bath’s performance and look ahead to their trip to Twickenham Stadium. The Tigers’ woes and difficulties have been well documented all season, they have received criticism from all angles and in fairness the match yesterday highlighted why. Leicester's forwards were determined and they made Bath work hard at the set piece and breakdown however once the ball exited the close confines of these areas Leicester's invention came at a premium. If Bath had enjoyed the amount of ball that Leicester did then I’m sure that we would have seen a cricket score. However, this season and in this game, Leicester’s backs just didn’t have the skills to weave lines through and create try scoring opportunities. Niall Morris’ injury looked horrendous and I wish him all the best, Matthew Tait come off the field absolutely blowing having given it his all and when Tommy Bell came on he looked eager to make things happen, however it needs a collective unit to be firing at this level not an individual. The Tigers’ sheer bloody mindedness and will pushed their season further than others would have got with their output and I heartily commend them for that however next season, fresh ideas and a new coaching set up must boost things... for those associated with the club won’t tolerate two consecutive ‘iffy’ seasons. 

Now, Bath Rugby. Where do I start with Mike Ford’s side? Do I highlight the fact that they entered the Tigers’ twenty two 8 times and scored off 7 of those visits? Do I praise the strength in depth and ability of their bench to maintain their high standards and turn the screw? Or do I focus on the emphatic scoreline? The starting points are endless however they all have one thing in common… collective brilliance. The type of rugby that Bath have played this season and will play in the Final is of the majestic variety, they favour the ball in hand, they play at tempo, off quick ball created by their forwards and they have outstanding handling and basics. 

That said in yesterday’s Semi-Final they actually played less rugby than they have done so in previous rounds and kicked away more than expected. At this point in time with a final scoreline of 47 points to 10 it is a mere matter of semantics however with Saracens’ greater ability to utilise this ball I’m sure that Mike Ford will address this point with his side this week. It almost seems unfair to point out individuals, for as a squad Bath delivered. Ford's side successfully rode the period with 13 men and the ten minutes after half time when they looked almost scared to deliver the final blows to win the game however they pushed themselves through that. Peter Stringer's try on 63 minutes reignited their belief and then the floodgates opened and we were treated to a rugby masterclass. 

The fact of the matter is in just under a week’s time this Bath Rugby side will run out at Twickenham Stadium and in many people’s books will be favourites to take the 2014/15 Title. It will be up to the Club as a whole to manage their emotions and put their game on the park for one final 80 minutes against a side that like to stifle and strangle their opponents. What an Aviva Premiership Final we have in store...!