Bath Rugby’s Aviva Premiership season has inspired us and although the Final eluded them the positives to take out from the campaign are great and large in number. Over the last 8 months Mike Ford and his coaching team have ignited their side and pushed Bath Rugby back onto everyone's radars in style.
Of course it is pertinent to start this story of the season with the Bath’s back line, the back line that contributed handsomely to their 80 Aviva Premiership tries this season and indeed many of England’s too. At the heart of the matter has been George Ford with his flat to the line approach and innate rugby ability. Ford has a rugby brain that is beyond his twenty two years and importantly he has worth ethic to match it. The fact that he has supreme talents outside of him adds to the equation; the partnership between Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph has become second nature, Matt Banahan and Semesa Rokoduguni have commanded their wings and Anthony Watson’s pace delivered breaks and field position galore. In the Bath environment all of these men have thrived, they have bettered themselves as individuals and delivered as a collective. It is a huge testament to them and indeed their forward and back row colleagues that we all thought that a twenty three point half time deficit in the Final was well within their capabilities to claw back, the same cannot be said about many other sides.
Of course it is pertinent to start this story of the season with the Bath’s back line, the back line that contributed handsomely to their 80 Aviva Premiership tries this season and indeed many of England’s too. At the heart of the matter has been George Ford with his flat to the line approach and innate rugby ability. Ford has a rugby brain that is beyond his twenty two years and importantly he has worth ethic to match it. The fact that he has supreme talents outside of him adds to the equation; the partnership between Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph has become second nature, Matt Banahan and Semesa Rokoduguni have commanded their wings and Anthony Watson’s pace delivered breaks and field position galore. In the Bath environment all of these men have thrived, they have bettered themselves as individuals and delivered as a collective. It is a huge testament to them and indeed their forward and back row colleagues that we all thought that a twenty three point half time deficit in the Final was well within their capabilities to claw back, the same cannot be said about many other sides.
It is rugby 101 that no back line flies without a strong platform to work off, a platform provided by a proficient set piece and back row that delivers the seamless link between the ‘big men’ and the ‘quick men’. Bath have both and the individuals that have worn 1 - 8 on their jerseys all year have worked tirelessly, without receiving the level of plaudits and praise of their counterparts with 9 - 15. The tackles, carries and work rate of Attwood, Hooper, Louw & Houston must never be overlooked alongside the huge contributions off the bench from men like Carl Fearns, Matt Garvey and Dom Day. Bath have a physical and ruthless side to them, one that some forget and whilst Saracens showed theirs more in the final game of the season Bath aren't simply an attacking one dimensional side. All year front row depth has been a blessing with the ability to bring on a second front three that are just as efficient as the starting one has been a blessing.
Any one that has been to Farleigh House or that has had any dealings with Bath Rugby will know the value of their leadership group and in particular their Captain, Stuart Hooper. Stuart is an man held in tremendous regard by coaches, referees, players and fans alike and rightly so for he is an outstanding rugby player and individual. The influence of Stuart and the entire squad have assisted the rapid transition of Sam Burgess from a League legend to a Union player, the Final was his 6th start at blindside flanker and he will be a firm part of Bath's progression next season. Peter Stringer and Paul James will both be missed, their contributions to the Club have been mighty however Bath have great squad depth and have recruited well.
As I said following the Aviva Premiership Final; losing finals hurts, however what it does do is to provide a team with the knowledge of how not to do it again. There is no secret about the fact that we all wished Bath to replicate their Semi-Final performance on the Twickenham turf, however on the day it was not to be. This year was Bath’s first final since 2004 and certainly the first major ‘knockout’ test for this young side. Right now, in the immediate aftermath it will hurt and it will continue to do so until they finish an Aviva Premiership Final on the podium however, as their Captain rightly said to me ‘this season has not been a waste’, far from it.
Bath will win trophies and they will do so the Bath way, their progression in Europe and domestically has been marked; their away win in Toulouse being point and case. Mike Ford and his coaching team are pushing these players daily, their output has delighted us all and I expect it to do so again when the Aviva Premiership season reconvenes in a few months time.
Key Men - Both Fords (!), Leroy Houston & Stuart Hooper
Most Impressive Result - We all hailed the Leicester Tigers' 45 - 0 victory & it did set the tone for many more but on the domestic front the dogged 12 -3 victory over Sale at The Rec was key to stemming a mini blip and continuing in the race for the Top 4. Also in Europe, that victory in Toulouse was a belter!
Strongest Signings for 15/16 Season - Nikola Matawalu from the Glasgow Warriors is a livewire and Rhys Priestland will ensure that Bath have options at 10 to give George Ford a break and follow Ollie Devoto to flourish in the Centres.
Strongest Signings for 15/16 Season - Nikola Matawalu from the Glasgow Warriors is a livewire and Rhys Priestland will ensure that Bath have options at 10 to give George Ford a break and follow Ollie Devoto to flourish in the Centres.
Overall Assessment - Beautiful to watch with more to come from this squad and the Final loss will fuel the fire.
