Latest news with #BruceCraig
Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rugby players are suing over safety – that is why Dan Cole had to see yellow
Ever since I started writing this column it seems that I have had to remind people of the position that Bath rugby club used to have in the English domestic game. Their near total hegemony for more than a decade is the legacy their current players must be sick of hearing about. Last Saturday, in the Premiership final at the Allianz Stadium, was the day from which they should be judged going forward. There is nothing wrong with looking back on a proud history, but it is time to consign Bath's past to its proper place and for new heroes to write their own chapters. In the days of mooted franchises, it is time to give credit to Bruce Craig as an owner who has supported the club without making a return and in the face of planning objections to his proposals to develop the Recreation Ground in situ, rather than taking the easier option of finding a completely new venue. The training facilities he established are first class and in finally stabilising his coaching team he has given the Bath squad the certainty they needed to make the necessary incremental changes to become champions. When asked to contribute a couple of prediction paragraphs for the final, it was not difficult to highlight the contributions that would be made by the two outstanding No 10s on show, Finn Russell and Handre Pollard. I don't take much credit for stating what to me is obvious, that Russell has more to his game than the eye-catching sleights of hand with which he is usually linked. Yet that was one of the telling factors in Bath's win. When Bath came under pressure in the Tigers' second-half fightback, there was Russell calmly doing what was required to keep Bath that bit out in front. I have some sympathy for the frustration shown by Michael Cheika, the Leicester coach, at the officiating. They were on the wrong end of the penalty count and had to play 20 minutes with a man short because of two yellow cards, both of which were down to clumsy rather than deliberate acts. However, they did escape a yellow for a cynical handling penalty from Nicky Smith that probably stopped Bath scoring. The truth is that Tigers went close owing to their famous obduracy, but Bath have been the standout team for most of this campaign and deserved their win for that and because they just shaded a compelling, if uneven, final. Nobody wants games to rest on marginal errors, but fans must appreciate the context in which the relevant laws are created and interpreted. When considering sanctions, the law, rightly, decides on risk not outcome. A flying 19st-plus Dan Cole, colliding late with Russell, poses a risk of injury that would have been avoided had the challenge not been made. It is all arguable, but what do players expect when their colleagues are suing for alleged lack of player safety? This is an area over which there will never be complete agreement and it is one of the things valued by rugby aficionados, but which perplexes casual watchers. 'Common sense' is what the proponents of discretion always say. The problem with giving officials discretion, which is fundamental to rugby flowing as a game at all, is that you can never get absolute consistency. The only way to do that is for there to be strict liability, as there is in the NFL – get caught and you are liable, however trivial the incident. Is that what fans want? I doubt it. Of greater significance to Bath going forward is that three of their most influential players in the victory were Max Ojomoh, Tom de Glanville and Guy Pepper, who are the respective sons of Steve, Phil and Martin. Two sets of elite players, from two distinct eras, that are now marked by success. Where Bath move on to from here remains to be seen. I do not think it is a coincidence that the fostering of the local and English talent has helped Bath's success. After years of buying the last notable player available, Bath have stabilised both their player recruitment and coaching appointments. The manner in which this has been achieved says much about what has finally been forged by Craig, and their coaching team headed by Johann van Graan. It also shows the wisdom of Craig's decision to step down from the chairman's role in 2022. Is 'the sky the limit', as claimed by their captain, Ben Spencer, after the game or will it be a little more complicated than that? I suspect the latter because six different champions in the last six years shows that, on the pitch, the Premiership is in reasonable shape, whatever the outside criticisms.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bath end three decades of agony in controversial Premiership final win over Leicester
The 29 years of angst and agony are finally at an end. Bath are champions of England once again, winners of the Premiership final for the first time to snap their long drought. But boy how they had to work for it, Leicester going hell for leather to threaten a shock – and so nearly pulling it off. And they might well have done, too, if not for a most unfitting farewell from Dan Cole. In his final game before retirement, a stray shoulder from the veteran prop proved oh so costly for a Tigers team that he has given blood, sweat and tears too. His indiscretion, and the resultant penalty, left old king Cole laying down his crown from the sin bin and Leicester two points short; Bath worthy winners over the course of the season but not perhaps so obviously triumphant on the day. Leicester Tigers' Dan Cole (right) was sent to the sin bin after a crucial late penalty (Adam Davy/PA Wire) Perhaps, in time, this will come to be known as the Finn Russell final rather than one defined by Cole, the fly half integral and influential throughout. It was at this ground where the Scot had endured two of his darkest recent days, last year's defeat in the Premiership final stinging deeply before a singular form of torture in the Calcutta Cup followed this February. Consider some of those ghosts exorcised, the magic man with a magic moment as he plucked an intercept to set up his side's crucial side. After this triumph, whatever Bruce Craig is paying Russell – and both club and player have denied that it is near certain figures reporting – has surely been worth it. Finn Russell (right) starred for Bath (David Davies/PA Wire) They are fitting victors in a season they had, largely, dominated until this final near miss. Their treble of trophies may not be of the highest prestige but it is a mighty achievement, league success added to cup and continental crowns. Yes, their budget is big, but they have won this title in style, homegrown heroes like Miles Reid and Charlie Ewels just as important as those lured from elsewhere. They won this final without playing remotely close to their best – the mark of a champion side. Advertisement This throwback final brought together two famous clubs but ahead of kick off there was only one team in town, nary a Tiger in sight in a Bath takeover of Twickenham. All along the Chertsey Road and down to the station they gathered in expectation, a tide of blue, black and white sweeping into Allianz Stadium. Such was the exodus that it must have been a down day for the parlours of Pulteney Bridge – though one suspects a few of the city's shop-keeps had deserted their stations to join the flood. A fast start, you felt, was vital for Leicester given the likely impact of that crowd and Bath's bench behemoths, and the underdogs duly delivered. Michael Cheika has talked about re-capturing the club's DNA and the Tigers soon showed some trademark snarl, a destructive scrum setting up an equally powerful maul drive either side of a superb punted penalty from Handre Pollard. Advantage earned with the rumble, Jack van Poortvliet wrestled over from close range. Russell got Bath going with a simple starter off the tee but could not quite get his side to find their flow in a frenetic first 20. One jink into space was scuppered by Joe Cokanasiga dropping an offload. It kickstarted a tough couple of minutes for the Scot, perhaps carrying a few unhappy memories of this place from the Six Nations, as he was run over by Olly Cracknell before shelling a pass from Ben Spencer. Russell initially struggled to get Bath going but grew in influence (Adam Davy/PA Wire) Yet Bath slowly turned it on, beginning to suffocate Leicester without the ball and threatening with it on the occasions they went more than two phases without a handling error. Russell's impact has been much mentioned since his arrival at The Rec but arguably more influential has been Thomas du Toit, the Springboks prop a force of nature in his own right and helping spur Will Stuart into a tighthead weapon himself. The South African started here in the opposite configuration to the semi-final and nudged Bath in front with a typically burly burst from the base of a ruck. Their prospects soon looked better: Julian Montoya, the Leicester captain, shown yellow after a high tackle. Advertisement But these Tigers are made of tough stuff, refusing to yield as the pressure came on in 10 minutes down a man. Restored to full complement, a soft penalty left Cheika incandescent at the half-time hooter, allowing as it did Bath to double their lead. Leicester took it to favourites Bath in a physical final (David Davies/PA Wire) November 2023 was the last time that Van Graan's side had let an advantage at the interval slip in the Premiership, and they had no intentions on doing so now. Out of the line stepped Russell to pluck the pass of Pollard, the trophy-shy Scot snaring the toss of the double world champion. Always thinking a step ahead, Russell surged to the line before making his conversion with an inwards fling to Ojomoh, whose dad, Steve, had won ten titles with Bath in their pomp. Leicester sent for their stalwarts, the retiring Ben Youngs and Dan Cole on in quick succession either side of the hour to rousing receptions at a place the pair know better than just about anyone. It looked like being too little, too late, when Guy Pepper produced a solo score of sheer strength only to see it chalked off for a pernickety knock-on, and Solomone Kata's converted try moved Leicester within striking distance. Leicester Tigers' Dan Cole was shown a yellow card by referee Karl Dickson (Action Images) But only temporarily. Cole's career ended in ignominy, catching Russell after a high hoist and allowing Bath to extend their lead as he slumped into his seat in the sin bin after a perhaps harsh yellow card. How costly it proved: Emeka Ilione somehow writhed to the line to leave Leicester just short; the difference the three points collected after Cole's misdeed. Not everyone gets a fairytale finish.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Bath battle past Leicester Tigers in gripping Premiership final to end 29-year wait for domestic title
Finally, after 29 years of disappointment, three decades of dust, a generation of expensive mistakes, Bath have their moment. They wore cotton jerseys when they last won the Premiership in 1996. Steve Ojomoh was in the team and his son Max, who fittingly scored the decisive try here at Twickenham, was not even born. No wonder there were tears when Finn Russell kicked out the ball for full-time. No wonder the players turned to prayers or parents or whoever else had helped them keep their faith when it looked like it might never happen. The photographs from 1996 have long faded but now his re-born club have new timeless heroes. The 2024-25 campaign has its rightful champions. Bath have set the standard through every round but they had to hold off a Leicester team with the fight of a mongrel. It was a scrap until the final play but the outcome always felt like the season's destiny. With his tailored jackets and thick cheque book, Bath's owner Bruce Craig has spent years vying for this trophy. Cash has been thrown at the likes of Gavin Henson, Danny Cipriani and Sam Burgess. Now, guided by the magical hand of Russell, he has found the winning formula. Russell will become a hall-of-fame rugby player but his talent has always been undermined by his lack of trophies. Here he delivered a performance that surely sets him clear as the playmaker who should start for the Lions when they land in Australia next week. There were nerves in Bath's performance, of course. Expectations were high as West London felt like the West Country. They dropped balls and flirted with a gritty Leicester fightback but came through thanks to a couple of incisive moments of attack. Bath have taken a few beatings from Leicester over the years. Remember the day Nick Abendanon was bashed up by the Tuilagi brothers? But here their pack held strong against Leicester's gnarly forwards, leaving Michael Cheika spewing that his team were not given more at the scrum by the referee. The penalty count was seven to one at half-time, in Bath's favour, meaning Leicester had little of the territory. 'We got nothing back from the referee at all,' blasted Cheika. This time last year, the boot was on the other foot. Bath prop Beno Obano was sent off in defeat in the final. Here, his face appeared on the big screen as Handre Pollard lined up the kick-off. Obano smiled in the face of danger. From the start, Leicester were happy to set up caterpillar rucks. Slow things down, chase points rather than hearts. Nicky Smith won the first penalty at the scrum and up stepped Handre Pollard. The South African was signed for these kind of moments. His legacy at the club would hinge on grand final outcomes and the early signs were good. Most 10s may play safe and land their kick on the 22 but Pollard landed his five metres from the try line. Hanro Liebenberg claimed the lineout and mauled forward inch by inch. Joe Heyes flew in to add a late shove, allowing Jack van Poortvliet to score the opening try. Knowing Will Muir is Bath's preferred kick chaser, Leicester's entire pack pointed at him on the restarts. They marked him closely but Bath's back-three won the battle of the skies. There were dropped balls as Bath tried to fight back and they found their rhythm after Russell kicked his first penalty. When they attacked in motion, Bath flowed around the edges of Leicester's committed defence, keeping the ball alive. Obano, on his avenger mission, carried hard before his fellow prop Thomas du Toit barrelled over to score. Julian Montoya was sin-binned for a high tackle on Ted Hill, before conceding another penalty at the breakdown. It allowed Russell to kick Bath to a 13-7 lead at the break. Pollard missed a penalty after the break and moments later his pass was intercepted by Russell, who sprinted clear before setting up Ojomoh to apply the scoring touch. Bath seemed home and dry when Max Pepper scored, but his try was ruled out and Leicetser fought back, with Dan Cole and Ben Youngs unloaded from the bench for one final time. Solomone Kata scored from close range but a yellow card for Cole stunted their fightback. Russell kicked a penalty and Emeka Illione scored to set up a tense finale, but this was a day that belonged to Bath.
Telegraph
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Inside story of Bath's treble-winning season
For Bath, 29 years of hurt are finally put to rest. The sleeping giant of English club rugby, victors in the Premiership Rugby Cup and Challenge Cup, have added the big brother to their trophy cabinet. A first Premiership title since 1996 – with victory over old enemies Leicester – secures an historic treble, a feat which few teams in English club rugby have managed. For fans of the blue, black and white, this has been a long time coming. But even for those on the inside, patience was key. When Johann van Graan, Bath's head of rugby, arrived in the West Country on July 11, 2022, there was no magic wand for the South African to flick. For so long, they had underperformed before plumbing new depths in 2021-22; bottom of the league with just five victories from 24 Premiership matches. Van Graan had a plan but trust and time were imperative. Bruce Craig, Bath's owner, and Tarquin McDonald, the chief executive, pulled their hair out through the nadir and were willing to grant Van Graan the resource and time he needed to transport Bath from the doldrums of 2022 to the dreamland of today. That faith has been repaid by Van Graan and his squad – Bath have finished eighth, second and first in the three seasons since the South African's arrival – but the journey for Craig and McDonald did not begin in July 2022. It began just before the pandemic, at lunch with one of the most legendary Bath figures of all, the man who led the club to nine cup victories and five league titles in the Eighties and Nineties, Jack Rowell – who sadly passed away last July. 'Quite a few years ago, pre-pandemic, I remember going for lunch with Jack and Bruce,' McDonald tells Telegraph Sport. 'I asked Jack: 'Who was the No 1 player from that golden era from 1978 to 1995? Who was the No 1 player critical to getting that up and running?' Without batting an eyelid, he said: 'Roger Spurrell.' Because of the edge he brought and the standards he set. 'I think back to 64-0 at Gloucester in 2022, the day of our awards evening, a capitulation, a dark day. Right at the centre of the values now, instilled by Johann, is being tough to beat. We might not win every game, but we're going to be tough to beat. There's a steel there, which the players have bought into. It's not quite the same, but it echoes what Jack said to me about having a backbone, a spine, and building around it. That's what Johann instilled.' With Rowell's words ringing in the ears, Craig believed that Van Graan was the man to enact them. For Craig, it had always been about Van Graan, the man he wanted in 2016, and the man he finally got in 2022, thanks to an introduction by Bath's former flanker Francois Louw. 'He is an exceptional man,' Craig, who bought the club in 2010, tells Telegraph Sport. 'He lives by what he says, he builds culture, he's the standard-setter. He's never too high, never too low. He believes in destiny; a Christian man. Everyone admires him. Everyone trusts him. All the players. And what he's created over three years is transformational, exceptional. I brought him in, and then, afterwards, he put certain things into place. The recruitment and retention has been, again, exceptional. 'He works very, very hard. He gets up very early in the morning and he's always last in there. He was an analyst. That's his background. He wasn't a top player. His foundation was analysis. He's very detailed in how he looks at strategy and the tactics of the game. 'His main thing is just how he deals with people. Everyone believes in him and trusts him. Whether that guy's going out, whether it's a guy coming in, whether it's the existing people, the guys who are going to play at the weekend; he deals with all of them in a very fair manner. He exudes trust. And that's the measure of the man – everyone trusts him. 'Back in 2016, he was watching us play at the Rec against Leinster with his kids when he was the Munster coach and he hadn't agreed to come to Bath. His kids said: 'Oh, we're not going to Bath, are we?' He had to tell them yes. Leinster put 60 points on us and we were down in the doldrums at that point. That was the pivotal moment. 'I can remember having a conversation and he was ringing to say that he wasn't coming to Bath – after that game. On the call, I told him that we needed him. I had to look after his family – he is an exceptionally devout family man – and I said that he needed to come. 'Let's talk about it.' He came when we were broken. The challenge was massive for him and he knew that, but it shows the measure of the man that he was willing to take on that challenge. He brought the vision and brought the dream. 'If men don't have dreams, they don't live,' he says.' 'Continuity breeds success' From his arrival, Van Graan set to work. Living on the grounds at Farleigh House, Bath's training ground, meant that the South African could plunge head-first into the Bath turnaround without neglecting his wife and children at home. Van Graan, 45, focused on conditioning but 'alignment' – from the academy, across the non-playing staff and up to the first team – became the buzzword. The academy players have trained with the first team since Van Graan's first day, with the changing rooms adapted so that a wall between the youth and the seniors no longer exists. 'There's an alignment and there's trust in the people that are in place,' says McDonald. 'That gave everyone time, which was needed, to get things to click. Which they did at the back end of 2022-23, followed by a bit of refinement ahead of 2023-24 with Lee Blackett coming in as attack coach and Finn [Russell] and Thomas du Toit joining. It was all about Finn initially, but Thomas has been a phenomenal man and leader. 'Toulouse, the best European team of the professional era, have had two coaches in those 29 years. We have not had continuity since the Jack Rowell era, and he left in 1995. This is the third season of Johann's initial contract and that was extended to 2030. Continuity – with the right people, plan and action – breeds success. 'What the club has done is sorted itself out from top to bottom. The bits that are less interesting... we have a great board of directors. The coaching staff around Johann, the heads of department... the head of medical is exceptional, the head of physical preparation is phenomenal, the team manager – Fran [Leighton] – is almost like a chief of staff for Johann. Those heads of department and the assistants around him, but we have exceptional people with great expertise and experience.' Van Graan brought in Andy Robinson, a Bath-playing alumnus during their salad days but latterly a World Cup-winning coach with England, to run the academy and also lend expertise to the tackle area. It was alignment that struck a chord with Robinson, too, who has seen some of his top academy talent make first-team debuts this season. 'Johann runs the whole rugby programme – and he has the ability to take in all that information,' says Robinson. 'I come under that in my role. What has been great is that right from day one, our 18-year-olds have trained with the first XV. They have to be ready, right from day one, to compete for a place. That's what you're seeing with people like Billy Sela and Kepu Tuipulotu coming through. And Tom Carr-Smith coming through as a scrum-half. Arthur Green. They've been training with and against the first XV players from day one. And they are challenged to perform in training. 'When I got back involved I said I only wanted to be involved if I could help the team win. In my own small way, if I can help that with the work I do, that's all that counts.' 'An analogy I quite like is if you were to imagine the rugby department and staff all in a bottle, then Johann is the cork in the top,' adds club stalwart Tom Dunn. 'Anything that affects or has anything to do with what's going on inside the bottle has to go through Johann. I really enjoy that. His office door is always open. If you have anything you want to question or challenge him on, you are more than welcome to have the conversation. There are times when you agree to disagree. Having an environment where you can express yourself, say what you really think, gives you freedom to perform.' Camaraderie – 'I've never enjoyed myself as much as I am this season,' says Dunn – has also been a huge factor. Rain or shine, Bath have been playing with smiles on their faces. 'A lot of these players are really good mates,' says Robinson. 'Some of them live together, they hang out together, and I see a real camaraderie. They'll give each other stick if they underperform – and they have each other's back. 'I saw it happen with Leicester [when I was England forwards coach] with Martin Johnson, the ABC club. And how connected those lads were. Whenever you were with them, you could see they were good mates. That's what I'm seeing now across the board with Bath. 'They are good people. And that's important with a rugby club – having good people. Who would not want to spend time with Alfie Barbeary? He's an absolute gem of a character and a joy to be around. He's somebody who will always put a smile on your face. Players will go to him and he brings people together. 'At the golf club I play at, at the top of the hill by the university, all the older members are supporters of the club and they're absolutely buzzing, delighted with what's happening. Our support was there throughout the days when Bath were losing, but you see now the connection; especially between players and supporters. That's a real important part for the whole group. The supporters are seeing the players play with smiles on their faces; and for each other.' For Dunn, such tightness and kinship were forged, as ever, in the furnace of doom. 'The year before we came bottom, we came fourth,' the hooker says. 'It shows that the talent, the ability was there. We had an incredibly young team that year. Orlando Bailey, Max Ojomoh, Tom de Glanville all starting. They were 19, 20 years old. They have matured. That experience we went through together... we learnt from it. We became tighter. We understood what it felt like to be there at the bottom, propping up the table. Then you understand how hard you have to work and how consistent you have to be to get where we are now. 'It felt terrible. There's no hiding from it. But it's all small margins. In professional sport, you're never as good as you think you are and you're never as bad as you think you are. 'The biggest difference is the experience of Johann in terms of coaching. He has been coaching for 23 years. Previous to Johann, we had Hoops [Stuart Hooper] in his first year as director of rugby, alongside Mark Lilley, Ryan Davis, Luke Charteris – all ex-players who were all very fresh. The head of medical and head of S&C were doing those roles for the first time, too. 'And you look at it now and you have: Rory Murray, who has been doing it for 15 years; Al Martin, 15 years; Johann, 23 years; Lee Blackett is an ex-director of rugby [at Wasps]; Andy Robinson and Stevie Scott, ex-international coaches; Richard Blaze was with the Red Roses and he has won the league with Leicester. There is a picture there of experience. 'But Ryan, Mark and Luke deserve huge credit. They are still involved. Now, their main role is coaching the university and the under-18s. They lead the Premiership Rugby Cup when that is on, too. You have blokes there – talk about those connections – who were there with us then and are still here now. They are much better coaches now than they were then and we're all much better players for that. That connection between the first XV and the academy; it's very much on one level. Ultimately, we're all trying to achieve the same thing: get better and win.' 'We literally stitched the pitch... it took five days' There was one change that took time, however; the pitch at the Rec. Matters came to a head after a match against Leicester in October 2023. In the final play of the game, with Bath leading by two points, both front rows slipped on the sodden surface but the referee deemed Bath to be at fault. Jamie Shillcock kicked a late penalty for Leicester to give the Tigers victory and Van Graan had seen enough. Something had to be done. 'I went to the board and said: 'We need to change it.' To be fair to Bruce, Tarquin and Nick [Varney, non-executive chairman], they said 'we'll make the change' and we stitched the pitch. If you look at the pitch now, it's one of the best surfaces in the Premiership. They literally stitched it. Every 2cm by 2cm, 90mm down they put in a stitch with these big machines. It took four or five days.' Craig adds: 'We looked at it, it cost £200,000 to stitch. It's beautiful, probably the best pitch in the Premiership. It was important for his philosophy and his playing style. He needed the forwards to grip and show their superiority in scrummaging.' Before the stitching, Dunn describes scrummaging at the Rec like 'trying to shoot a cannon out of a canoe', but the stitching – artificial fibres punched down into the soil which the grass grows around to make the pitch more robust – has made a 'massive difference'. 'We have a patch at Farleigh stitched exactly the same as the Rec, so we scrummage on that and we know exactly what it feels like,' Dunn adds. 'We stay within salary cap' The final piece of the Van Graan puzzle was recruitment. The club brought in Rob Burgess, a former agent, as head of recruitment before superstars like Russell and Du Toit followed, the cherries on top. Next season, more goodies arrived, in the form of Santiago Carreras and Henry Arundell in the back three, as well as the dependable centre Chris Harris and hooker Dan Frost. Naturally, when the runaway league leaders and Premiership champions sign one of the league's best players and one of England's hottest prospects, the question of the salary cap is always raised by cynical fans. Van Graan understands the scepticism but highlights how the acquisitions are the result of savvy recruitment and cap management rather than any skulduggery. 'Asking about the cap is fair and a very easy question to answer,' says Van Graan. 'We've got an owner who has said from the very first day that we will spend up to the cap. Some other teams have made the decision not to spend up to the cap. When I chat to a prospective player, I tell them to speak to the other players and look at how we are treating them in terms of rest, welcoming their families, our brand of rugby, our coaching team. 'Jacques du Plessis left earlier in the season and we haven't replaced him. We're one of the only squads in the Premiership to only have three senior locks. Regan Grace left mid-season, Hame Faiva hasn't played a minute of the season. You can add all these things up. There's a salary cap manager, we are very comfortable, we have a good relationship with him, and it's very important that we all stick within the parameters. We are like every single other club, we get audited each year.' The haters will always hate. In the scheme of Bath's victory, with people lining the streets of the city before piling into the Rec on Sunday, they are irrelevant. Bath finally have their victory, clinched in treble style. 'We had fallen from grace,' says Craig. 'We had gone from being the pre-eminent team in the amateur era, when we won everything. That legacy was a ball and chain around the club's leg. 'We are just arriving. The dream was always to be back as English champions. That was always the aim, to get Bath back to where we were in the heyday. That's the legacy of the amateur years but, since professionalism, Bath have been an average side. The dream was always to get us back to the pinnacle. Now we want to be champions again. Two years, three years – as long as we can do it. We will definitely be going for the Champions Cup, too. 'Johann brought the dream. It is now reality. But, even if we hadn't won the final... it's almost the Triple Crown for us. Winning the other two were the monkeys off the back. But to do the treble is a phenomenal achievement.'
The Independent
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Bath end three decades of agony in controversial Premiership final win over Leicester
The 29 years of angst and agony are finally at an end. Bath are champions of England once again, winners of the Premiership final for the first time to snap their long drought. But boy how they had to work for it, Leicester going hell for leather to threaten a shock – and so nearly pulling it off. And they might well have done, too, if not for a most unfitting farewell from Dan Cole. In his final game before retirement, a stray shoulder from the veteran prop proved oh so costly for a Tigers team that he has given blood, sweat and tears too. His indiscretion, and the resultant penalty, left old king Cole laying down his crown from the sin bin and Leicester two points short; Bath worthy winners over the course of the season but not perhaps so obviously triumphant on the day. Perhaps, in time, this will come to be known as the Finn Russell final rather than one defined by Cole, the fly half integral and influential throughout. It was at this ground where the Scot had endured two of his darkest recent days, last year's defeat in the Premiership final stinging deeply before a singular form of torture in the Calcutta Cup followed this February. Consider some of those ghosts exorcised, the magic man with a magic moment as he plucked an intercept to set up his side's crucial side. After this triumph, Bruce Craig is paying Russell – and both club and player have denied that it is near certain figures reporting – has surely been worth it. They are fitting victors in a season they had, largely, dominated until this final near miss. Their treble of trophies may not be of the highest prestige but it is a mighty achievement, league success added to cup and continental crowns. Yes, their budget is big, but they have won this title in style, homegrown heroes like Miles Reid and Charlie Ewels just as important as those lured from elsewhere. They won this final without playing remotely close to their best – the mark of a champion side. This throwback final brought together two famous clubs but ahead of kick off there was only one team in town, nary a Tiger in sight in a Bath takeover of Twickenham. All along the Chertsey Road and down to the station they gathered in expectation, a tide of blue, black and white sweeping into Allianz Stadium. Such was the exodus that it must have been a down day for the parlours of Pulteney Bridge – though one suspects a few of the city's shop-keeps had deserted their stations to join the flood. A fast start, you felt, was vital for Leicester given the likely impact of that crowd and Bath's bench behemoths, and the underdogs duly delivered. Michael Cheika has talked about re-capturing the club's DNA and the Tigers soon showed some trademark snarl, a destructive scrum setting up an equally powerful maul drive either side of a superb punted penalty from Handre Pollard. Advantage earned with the rumble, Jack van Poortvliet wrestled over from close range. Russell got Bath going with a simple starter off the tee but could not quite get his side to find their flow in a frenetic first 20. One jink into space was scuppered by Joe Cokanasiga dropping an offload. It kickstarted a tough couple of minutes for the Scot, perhaps carrying a few unhappy memories of this place from the Six Nations, as he was run over by Olly Cracknell before shelling a pass from Ben Spencer. Yet Bath slowly turned it on, beginning to suffocate Leicester without the ball and threatening with it on the occasions they went more than two phases without a handling error. Russell's impact has been much mentioned since his arrival at The Rec but arguably more influential has been Thomas du Toit, the Springboks prop a force of nature in his own right and helping spur Will Stuart into a tighthead weapon himself. The South African started here in the opposite configuration to the semi-final and nudged Bath in front with a typically burly burst from the base of a ruck. Their prospects soon looked better: Julian Montoya, the Leicester captain, shown yellow after a high tackle. But these Tigers are made of tough stuff, refusing to yield as the pressure came on in 10 minutes down a man. Restored to full complement, a soft penalty left Cheika incandescent at the half-time hooter, allowing as it did Bath to double their lead. November 2023 was the last time that Van Graan's side had let an advantage at the interval slip in the Premiership, and they had no intentions on doing so now. Out of the line stepped Russell to pluck the pass of Pollard, the trophy-shy Scot snaring the toss of the double world champion. Always thinking a step ahead, Russell surged to the line before making his conversion with an inwards fling to Ojomoh, whose dad, Steve, had won ten titles with Bath in their pomp. Leicester sent for their stalwarts, the retiring Ben Youngs and Dan Cole on in quick succession either side of the hour to rousing receptions at a place the pair know better than just about anyone. It looked like being too little, too late, when Guy Pepper produced a solo score of sheer strength only to see it chalked off for a pernickety knock-on, and Solomone Kata's converted try moved Leicester within striking distance. But only temporarily. Cole's career ended in ignominy, catching Russell after a high hoist and allowing Bath to extend their lead as he slumped into his seat in the sin bin after a perhaps harsh yellow card. How costly it proved: Emeka Ilione somehow writhed to the line to leave Leicester just short; the difference the three points collected after Cole's misdeed. Not everyone gets a fairytale finish.
