Bath fans have been coming to matches armed with flags bearing the club’s colours and the logo ‘In JVG we trust’, in tribute to the South African who they believe can bring them a first major prize of the 21st century.
The initials stand for Johann van Graan and his West Country team stand for upward mobility. On Sunday, they are at Northampton for a repeat of last season’s Premiership Final, which ended in an agonising four-point defeat, but that result did not derail the grand project. Far from it. Bath responded by thrashing the champion Saints 38-16 on the opening weekend of the current campaign and they have so far won eight of their nine league games, to sit top of the table.
Last weekend, they subjected mighty Saracens to a record-breaking 68-10 ordeal at The Rec; a far cry from the corresponding fixture in October 2021, which the London club won 71-17. In that season of horrors, Bath were also dismantled 64-0 by Gloucester at Kingsholm and finished bottom of the 13-team pile. They would have been consigned to relegation if it hadn’t been abolished.
Van Graan inherited an almighty mess and has since declared ‘we were broken as a club’. But he has cleared up the mess and overseen the sort of transformation which was beyond the likes of Sir Ian McGeechan and Todd Blackadder during their tenures in charge. So, what has happened to put Bath on track for their first Premiership title since 1996 and their first marquee triumph since they won the old Heineken Cup for the only time in 1998?
There is no doubt that significant investment has been a powerful factor. While rivals have reduced their playing budgets to counter a period of financial upheaval, Bath owner Bruce Craig has approved a major recruitment drive. Scotland’s playmaker-magician, Finn Russell, was signed from Racing 92 as a marquee asset on a deal reportedly worth close to £1million per year.
As well as that statement, Bath have been shrewd in acquiring outstanding English talent from clubs who went bust, with Ollie Lawrence and Ted Hill both arriving from Worcester and Alfie Barbeary from Wasps. Guy Pepper was lured from struggling Newcastle last summer, to further enhance the stock of formidable back-rowers at Van Graan’s disposal. Opponents question how they can be within salary-cap limits, but Bath are understood to back-load some contracts as an accountancy tactic.
Johann van Graan has led Bath on a remarkable run as they search for their first Premiership title since 1996
His side suffered a painful defeat to Northampton Saints in last year’s Premiership final
Russell has been supremely influential, in alliance with Ben Spencer, the former Saracens scrum-half who was made captain by Van Graan and has risen to that task, as a winner with the medals to prove it. Crucially, the creative pairing have flourished under the guidance of Lee Blackett, who was brought in from the Scarlets as a visionary attack guru, after previously guiding Wasps to a Premiership Final.
‘The year before I came – and before Finn came – the club were in a massive rebuilding process,’ said Blackett. ‘The year before Johann got here, they were literally playing from everywhere. I remember coaching against Bath and it was very much, “Kick it long and allow Bath to kill themselves”.
‘Johann quickly changed that. He put a massive emphasis on defence and building a set-piece base. It went from one extreme where Bath would always play off their own line to the other extreme where they kicked a lot and played a lot of territory. It needed players and coaches to come in and move the club on, and that’s what Johann and I spoke about; more of a focus on the attack.’
On Russell’s impact, he added: ‘The big thing is that he is a calming factor. He understands that boys will make mistakes but we have a ‘next job’ mentality. He is a great example of that. He might make a mistake and the next minute he comes up with a piece of genius.
‘There’s such a good link between him and Ben, who is world-class when it comes to his kicking game and game-management, as the pragmatist that he is. That goes well with an X-factor player like Finn Russell. I think it surprised everyone how well they gelled immediately.’
According to Blackett, Van Graan demonstrated a ‘growth mind-set’ by deciding to harness his expertise rather than regard someone who had been head coach of a successful Premiership team as a potential threat to his authority. ‘Anyone who isn’t like that, I find they are worried about their job,’ he added. That also applied to the decision to reintegrate Andy Robinson as a link to a glorious past.
Having lost the last final so narrowly, Blackett was concerned that Bath would become the latest runners-up to struggle at the start of the following campaign, but instead they earned a measure of revenge against Northampton and haven’t looked back since. One defeat at home to neighbours Bristol has been the only blemish.
Club stalwart Tom Dunn explained the morale shift under Van Graan. Having turned up singing before a chat with Mail Sport – and joking that he was ready to ‘talk about Henry Arundell signing’ – the England hooker reflected on how times have changed, since the historic lows a few years ago.
But this season has seen them rebound impressively, and they currently sit top of the league
The club have recruited wisely in recent years, with Finn Russell proving transformative since his arrival
Meanwhile former Saracens star Ben Spencer has flourished since being named captain
‘It is chalk and cheese,’ he said. ‘Belief is probably the biggest thing that’s different between now and then. We still had belief in what we were doing back then, but of course in the back of your head is the thought, “We’ve just lost to that side by 60”. It’s an easy thing to say, but a tough thing to act on. It is so much easier when you are winning!’
Dunn praised the ‘open-door’, honest culture fostered by Van Graan. Bonds have been forged in a revamped squad by little, every-day gestures and fun. ‘Culture is built on small things; that no-one really sees or talks about, like giving someone a lift to training,’ he said. ‘Between training sessions, everyone is sat together in the same room, having a coffee.
‘We win and lose together. For example, after Newcastle, it was a late kick-off and there wasn’t a flight back that evening, so we flew back the next morning. It wasn’t a forced social, but we ended up in the same karaoke bar, having a sing together. I’ll never forget Niall Annett’s first one; Belter. It was unbelievable!’
Any squad needs it fair share of characters. Dunn is certainly one of those and he’s not the only one.
‘Alfie Barbeary is always good value,’ he added. ‘He’s got too many (party pieces) to mention. He’s like an onion; he has a lot of layers and you have to break down the layers to really get to know the man inside!’
Bath’s resurgence has been founded on a potent core of British and South African power, skill and expertise. Springbok prop Thomas du Toit added hugely to the scrummaging and leadership clout in the squad when he joined last year from the Sharks, before going on to finish the 2023-24 season as top try-scorer. He and his family were drawn by the tantalising prospect of on-field success and attractive surroundings, and they have settled well.
‘I want to be in a team which wins,’ he told Mail Sport, adding: ‘Obviously, Bath is an unbelievably beautiful city and that definitely makes a difference. We visited Bath once or twice before making the decision and we are loving it now.
‘It helps that there are a few South Africans here, but I wanted to throw myself into the culture and I am enjoying it so much. All the Brits here are fantastic people. One of my best friends is Tom Dunn. We have Sunday roasts every now and then, and we braai together. He does love biltong too, which is good, because I make my own biltong and he enjoys it.
The club’s Springbok contingent have integrated seamlessly under Van Graan’s leadership
Stars of the future have also been given an opportunity to shine, including 19-year-old prop Billy Sela
‘Our kids play together. I got him to buy a quad bike for his son, so his son and my son drive quad bikes around Farleigh every now and then. We make fires together, we go fishing together, it’s a lot of fun. That is testament to the fact that, as a family, we’re really happy in this place.’
The reference to the rural training centre is significant. Farleigh House is a place of stately grandeur, but Van Graan made it his mission to ensure it was also fit for sporting purpose.
‘When I started at Bath, there was a lot of noise about the team not performing because we train at Farleigh and because it is so beautiful,’ said the head coach. ‘But you don’t judge a person by their outer looks, you judge a person by what’s on the inside; their heart. It was the same with Farleigh.
‘We have changed our meeting rooms. We have changed the set-up of our gym. We have changed the changing-room. We have really made it our home and created a natural flow at Farleigh. It was never designed to be a rugby ground, but Bruce (Craig) had a vision so I embraced Farleigh and changed the inside of the walls.
‘We’ve added a small thing that the players asked for, to improve recovery; a sauna in the changing-room. We also changed the learning environment so there is an auditorium which is visually different to other places that I’ve been. I believe all these changes have allowed us to get the best out of people and made sure that the environment makes them flourish.’
There is no question that they are flourishing, with positive results and bonds, surroundings and next-generation talent coming through. Vilikesa ‘Billy’ Sela is a highly-rated prop who won the junior World Cup with England and, against Northampton, another front-row prodigy, teenage hooker Kepu Tuipulotu, is making his league debut.
Given the outlook at Bath, it’s no wonder that players are keen to stay. England centre Ollie Lawrence is currently in talks about a new contract. Asked for an update, he said: ‘I’m enjoying myself at Bath. I can’t see myself moving to another club at this point.’
Sunday’s showdown with the Saints will provide a telling indication of Bath’s readiness to go one step further than they did last season. But, at this stage, they look every inch like true champions-elect. No wonder the fans are believing in ‘JVG’ and his team.
