Rugby-Bath and Leicester roll back the years in battle for English supremacy
LONDON -Bath v Leicester is a fixture that is evocative of a time when the clubs totally ruled English rugby, and memories and rivalries forged in the 1980s will re-emerge on Saturday when they meet in the English Premiership final for the first time.
They, along with Gloucester, are the only clubs to have been permanent members of the top flight since it was formed 1988 and in the league's early years they were totally dominant, winning 12 of the first 15 titles between them, as well as nine versions of the cup.
Since those glory days, however, it has been a different story, as the likes of Saracens, Wasps, Northampton and Exeter broke up the hegemony.
Leicester did continue to dine at the top table, winning the league in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2022 to take their tally to 11, but Bath's last triumph remains the 1996 title when the winners were still decided by a simple league table with no end-of-season final.
That was also the last time the two big guns faced off at Twickenham, as Bath triumphed 16-15 in the Pilkington Cup final courtesy of a last-minute penalty try that Leicester fans have been grumbling about for 29 years.
Until this season, Bath's 1996 league and cup double remained their last domestic success - though they did win the European Cup two years later.
They have lost three Premiership finals since then, including last year's nail-biter against Northampton, but are now bidding for a 2025 treble having already bagged the Premiership Cup - largely a development competition - and the European Challenge Cup.
They finished away and clear at the top of the Premiership and, after an early wobble, eventually swept past Bristol in the semis.
South African coach Johann van Graan has introduced a level of pragmatism rarely seen at the Recreation Ground and fans dreaming of running rugby, but starved of silverware, have learned to love seeing their massive pack, and particularly their own Bomb Squad, overwhelm all opposition in a succession of second-half surges.
The team have also been expertly guided by the halfback combination of on-song Ben Spencer and Finn Russell, who has curbed some of his wilder instincts to move his team around the pitch, while also taking his goalkicking up to truly world-class level.
"It's taken a lot of hard work from the group," scrumhalf Spencer said of Bath's revival since Van Graan arrived two years ago.
"I think one huge thing that Johann brought in was turning hope into belief. This group believes now, and believes that we can win big games. Saturday will be another huge game for the group and we know that each and every one of us has got each other's back."
Leicester are back where they feel they belong after an horrendous dip that had them finish third-from-bottom last season.
Under the leadership of Australian Michael Cheika they have rediscovered much of their swagger and finished strongly to secure second place in the standings before edging past Sale in the semis.
"They gave us a bit of a tonking when we were down there a few weeks ago and Bath are the only team we haven't beaten yet this year, so we have got to find a way to master that opponent," Cheika said in relation to his side's 43-15 league defeat on May 17.
Whatever the result, it will be an emotional day for scrumhalf Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole - England's two most-capped players - who are playing their final games after almost 700 Leicester appearances between them.
(Reporting by Mitch PhillipsEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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