A Tasty Season & a Feast To Come?

  Looking back always changes the perspective and that is particularly true of a rugby season like the one we have just had. The freshest memory is a painful and high profile Twickenham defeat, untypical of most of the season. Are we downhearted? Well, maybe just a little bit.  Should we be? No, we should be proud and hopeful. Of course, we wanted to win and hopes would have been high following the semi final performance, but reality in a fez, stole the dream at the end. We have come a long way, though, and should be pleased with the progress.  

The season has been a sumptuous feast. Maybe not all dishes at the banquet were   as tasty as we would wish, but it has mostly been delectable fare. Yes, we only managed to snatch the Turkish delight from Saracens once in 3 encounters and were well beaten in the AP Final, leaving a disappointing after taste. Mike Ford, Stuart Hooper and the other leaders will want the squad to recall that taste at the deep end of next season and use it as motivation for renewed success as Sarries themselves did this year.

If the Guinness washing down the Dublin Bay oysters on Easter Saturday was cloudy, leaving another pallid aftertaste, the Mediterranean bouillabaisse was exquisite: Montpellier were dispatched home and away and Toulouse routed at their home in thrilling style. In the Premiership too, Leicester were treated to humbling Melton Mowbray pork pie twice – well seasoned with 12 gloriously taken tries. There were also Premiership doubles over some of our bogey teams –Harlequins, Sale & Gloucester: the last of these in 2 high scoring affairs.

Of course it did not always go our way and defeat in the AP Final was not the worst of our performances. Tigers took the match by the scruff of the neck at Welford Road,: we did not cope with  their early show of intensity and forward dominance. The European Champions Cup visit to Glasgow proved to be a deep-fried Mars bar too indigestible to chew.

How did we do when it mattered? In the league we finished second and paired that with losing the AP final. In tries scored and conceded we were 3^rd  in the Premiership but in a high scoring and attack minded tournament, only 4^th in points difference. We beat all the top teams at home – bar one, the league toppers Northampton. In Europe we made the knockout rounds thanks to a dramatic recovery, in glorious fashion, from 2 early pool defeats.

We need though to learn how to win the ones that matter. This season the BBW have performed in most big “regular season” games in the league and European pool stages. They have yet to match the knack of the “usual suspects” (Toulon, Leinster, Northampton, Saracens) in finding ways to win the crucial knockouts.

It is hard to judge if Leinster and Saracens won because of greater squad strengths –or because they were more experienced at top level knockout. These things cannot be quantified, but it is worth reflecting that Bath’s success in the golden era was founded on knockout rugby first, before a proper league competition existed: with 4 Cup triumphs preceding victory in the league’s second season.

It is always tempting to hope for squad strengthening after a season like this. Reinforcements next year seem focused on the half backs – 2 new scrum halves and a seasoned 10 in Rhys Priestland, plus a bustling wing with a sevens pedigree. These will help strengthen the attack, but it was up front where Saints, Leinster & Saracens gained the edge. Fans will watch developments on the rumoured 2 new forward signings with interest. Even if the personnel remain the same, Neal Hatley will be busy over the summer refining all phases of forward play, but the lineout and restarts in particular.

Before next season of course several squad members should be honing their skill and experience in the World Cup. In the England camp Ford, Joseph and Watson seem certainties if fit, but the forwards all face challenges. Dave Attwood, who looked excellent in white all season was unlucky to lose out late in the 6 Nations to Easter, but he has stormed back to form and was a standout for Bath in the semi and final. Webber and Wilson face strong competition from George, Cowan-Dickie and Brookes. They know they will have a battle to secure those squad places and I expect they will be bursting with aggressive intent to seize their chances.

It was good to hear both Mike Ford and Stuart Hooper say – before the final-that Bath cannot claim a great season, because “we have won nothing yet”. MD Tarquin McDonald on the other hand, has spoken of “being ready to win a trophy”. I take both those statements as realism from the men in charge. If Bath, like Saracens can learn from defeat, as well as using the disappointment as motivation trophies are eminently possible.   We have seen the clear potential: there will be work to do but the prizes are within reach. Perhaps we will follow our champagne rugby by washing down our feast next year with the champagne of celebration?

Bath have justified Bruce Craig’s faith and shown that a place at the top table of domestic and European rugby is deserved. This season the 6 Nations player of the year, Premiership Director of Rugby & player of the year were all Bath men. Many neutrals warmed to Bath’s playing style and 72 premiership tries were scored – not bad at all!

This has been a really tasty season and the future is bright. The future is Blue, Black & White!