Brian Ashton - The Special One Must Stay

By Glen Leat
April 19 2006

After celebrating the heady rugby of the first 40 minutes against Bristol on Saturday, Bath fans have been brought down to earth with the news that they could be saying goodbye to the man many see as a coaching Messiah, Brian Ashton. So what is the possible impact of this news?

I made comment in the Bristol match report about how the RFU were starting to sniff around The Rec, once again hoping to steal a Bath coach and the legs of this story appear to be getting longer and stronger as each day passes. In the past we've lost Jack Rowell and Andy Robinson to the England cause, although it is probable that both had done as much as they could with Bath Rugby and the time was right for both club and coach that they move on. Clive Woodward is often mentioned in the same breath as Big Jack and Robbo when describing how Bath has acted as a coaching nursery for England. However, let's face it, he worked for a few months for a couple of days a week so his move hardly rocked the foundations of the Lambridge changing rooms.

However the potential loss of Brian Ashton is of far greater importance than experienced by our club when Rowell and Robinson moved on. Whilst Big Jack is a living legend his achievement wasn't a solo affair and let's face it, he had some pretty special players to work with. Rowell was a bit like Woodward, his talents lay more in the management of the team than the coaching of the players. Robbo will forever be held in high esteem by those of us who remember all the knocks he took for the cause of Bath FC but had it not been for the unexpected European Cup victory in 1998, his time at the helm wouldn't be considered as special. 

In contrast Brian Ashton could be considered to be rugby's equivalent of "The Special One" (Jose Mourinho to those who don't follow football). An individual with such (almost) ludicrously special coaching talents that there are many who genuinely believe he can once again take Bath Rugby back to the dizzy heights of the 1980's and early 1990's. Given the time this man can mold the current players in to a team as good as that which was graced by the likes of Hall, Spurrell, Hill, Barnes and Guscott.  As our near neighbours keep reminding us, we can't forever dine out on the glory years of a decade or two ago, we have to look forward and Ashton has the special talents to help us do this.

After enjoying a false dawn under John Connolly and Michael Foley, where one great season co-incided with the vagaries of the 2003/4 fixture list thanks to the World Cup, our team generally flattered to deceive and failed to perform when it really mattered. Having a monster pack which put the fear of God in to all opponents meant nothing when the backs couldn't convert possession in to points. Despite the constant criticism from supporters and media alike, the Bath coaching staff couldn't or wouldn't change their "forwards dominated" approach to rugby and gradually the always loyal followers of the Blue, Black and White started to question why they were bothering to support a team that had as much dimension as a flat pancake.

The departure of John Connolly was considered by many to be the ideal opportunity for Bath Rugby to revert back to a style more befitting of a club in search Championship glory. Thankfully the Club made its boldest bid since the onset of professionalism and secured the talents of a man England were happy to see languish with their youngsters. The national management was content to put the future of England rugby in the hands of ex-League experts rather than the man who has forgotten more about attacking rugby than the Old Farts have had free prawn sandwiches. Brian Ashton returned "home" and suddenly The Rec was buzzing rather than buzzing off early.

In a matter of weeks we saw changes to the way Bath were playing. Different lines of running - actual lines of running to be more accurate! Running and passing out of defence. Backs looking like they want to play rugby instead of purely act as a last line of defence and forwards with confidence in their backs. Players passing in the tackle to keep a move going rather than taking the hit to set up another ruck. This was no co-incidence, this is rugby Ashton-style and players and supporters alike love it. 

But if Brian Ashton could make these changes in a few weeks what's to stop someone else doing something similar if he left Bath? Nothing, of course is the answer. But if it was that easy it would have been done before. Ashton is the teacher and others can learn from him but he sets the lessons and therefore must remain at Bath to turn this team in to a Superteam, one that is feared across Europe for the next decade.

Bath Rugby must now make an even bolder move that that of signing Ashton in the first place by ensuring he stays at The Rec. Whatever it costs, whatever it takes Brian Ashton must stay at The Rec!