Bath Rugby’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, lauded his team’s composure under pressure following their convincing 34-20 semi-final win against Bristol Bears. This resilience, he believes, bodes well for their upcoming final clash against arch-rivals Leicester Tigers.
Having dominated the league, finishing top with three rounds to spare, Bath enters the Allianz Stadium at Twickenham as strong favourites for the second consecutive year. Last season, they narrowly missed out on the title, falling 25-21 to Northampton Saints in the final. However, this year’s circumstances are notably different. Bath is chasing a historic treble, having already secured both the Premiership Rugby Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup, and their experience in knockout rugby has grown immensely over the past twelve months.
Van Graan commented on the journey: “It’s not just experience; it’s about living moments together as a group. Last year, we told ourselves to enjoy the final week, and we did. Walking into Twickenham was a fantastic feeling. This week, we’ll follow the same mindset. A final is a one-off event. If you don’t get through the semi-final, the season ends abruptly. Win, and you have the chance to claim the Premiership. It’s the reality of sport.”
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Reflecting on the semi-final, Van Graan emphasized the importance of handling pressure: “Semi-finals are about pressure. We won the league already and played at home, so expectations were high, and Bristol is a strong side that brought plenty of pressure. I thought we managed that pressure better than they did.”
Bath’s victory was marked by a decisive second-half surge, featuring tries from Ted Hill, Joe Cokanasiga, Will Muir, and Max Ojomoh. Fly-half Finn Russell played a crucial role, converting all four tries and adding two first-half penalties to finish with 14 points. Bristol, despite scoring through James Dun and Bernhard Janse van Rensburg, struggled against Bath’s staunch defence, held up multiple times near the line.
Looking ahead, Van Graan and the Bath squad are eager to embrace the challenge of the final, putting their passion and hard work on full display once more. Meanwhile, Leicester Tigers secured their place in the final with a narrow 21-16 win over Sale Sharks at Welford Road.