Latest news with #JohannvanGraan
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Premiership finale - five teams in play-off hunt
Leicester, Sale and Bristol all occupy the three top four spots up for grabs on the Premiership's final day [Getty Images] Five teams go into the Premiership's dramatic final day still in with a chance of joining table toppers Bath in this season's play-offs and of winning the title at Twickenham in two weeks' time. Leicester, Sale, Bristol, Gloucester and Saracens could remarkably all still finish anywhere from second to sixth as they go into the weekend separated by just five points after 17 matches. Advertisement Johann van Graan's Bath side have come back from last season's final defeat against Northampton with a vengeance, winning 14 games this term and leading the table by 15 points. Such is Bath's dominance so far they secured top of the table and a home semi-final at the Recreation Ground with three rounds of games to go and will play whoever finishes fourth on Friday, 6 June, while second will host third on Saturday, 7 June. With something riding on all five games that all kick-off at 15:05 BST this Saturday, here's what each club needs to do - and in some cases hope for outside of their control - to seal a semi-final spot. Second: Leicester - 56 points, 10 wins Leicester were well beaten at Bath last time they played two weeks ago [Getty Images] For the Tigers, the task is simple - beat Newcastle at home and second place in the table along with a home semi-final is theirs. One point is enough to secure the top four. Advertisement The league's most successful side are on the prowl for their record-extending 12th title and have a two-point cushion over third-placed Sale. Leicester have the most amount of wiggle room if they do lose and drop points, as at least three results would need to go against them for them to drop out of the top four. However, they will be confident of getting the job done against a Falcons side who have won just two league matches in the past two seasons and finished rock bottom of the table in both. Third: Sale - 54 points, 11 wins England fly-half George Ford has been in fine form for Sale [Getty Images] If the Tigers do slip up, the Sharks will be circling. Sale visit Exeter, with the Chiefs already assured of a ninth-placed finish and nothing to play for on the day. Advertisement A repeat of December's win over the Chiefs and Alex Sanderson's team will cement third place regardless of other results. A loss with two bonus points would still be enough for the top four. It's been 19 years since the club's sole Premiership title. But the Manchester side have a trick up their sleeve in that they have the most league wins of any club aside from Bath, meaning if they end the season on the same number of points as any of their competitors, they would finish above them by virtue of having more league victories. The Sharks also have England fly-half George Ford arriving at the end of the season in stunning form as they have won three of their past four Premiership games. Advertisement In the unlikely event that Tigers draw and Sale win, or Leicester lose and Sale draw, the two sides could finish level on points but with Sale on top. Fourth: Bristol - 53 points, nine wins Wing Gabriel Ibitoye has scored 12 tries in 16 appearances for Bristol this season [Getty Images] Currently occupying the final play-off spot are Pat Lam's Bristol Bears and they face a highly unpredictable Harlequins side. Victory would guarantee a top four finish but anything less than that and the Bears will be looking over their shoulders, with Gloucester and Saracens ready to strike. Ashton Gate holds a special place in the hearts of Quins fans as the scene of their epic semi-final fightback victory at "Bristanbul" in 2021 en-route to claiming their second Premiership title. Advertisement Any slip-ups at Welford Road for Leicester and Sandy Park for Sale would mean Bristol could still yet finish second and book in another memorable home semi-final. Fifth: Gloucester - 51 points, nine wins Gloucester won away at Newcastle to keep themselves in contention going into the final day [Getty Images] Gloucester go into the game knowing nothing less than victory over reigning champions Northampton will do. Do that and they will only need one of Leicester, Sale or Bristol to lose without any bonus points and they sneak into the top four at the finish line. In what would be an astonishing story, the Cherry and Whites could mathematically still secure a home semi-final at Kingsholm if they all suffer defeat and pick up no bonus points. Advertisement If they were to secure a bonus-point victory over Saints they would jump up to 56 points, level with Leicester. Given both teams would have 10 wins, Gloucester would likely finish above the Tigers due to their superior points difference (currently Gloucester +74, Leicester +72). Northampton have suffered a disappointing defence of the title they won last season but fly-half Fin Smith and co have shown the immense quality they possess in their run to the European Champions Cup final last weekend. Sixth: Saracens - 51 points, nine wins Saracens could finish [Getty Images] Saracens' host Bath at StoneX Stadium with their destiny out of their hands as they bid to avoid missing out on the top four for only the third time since 2009. Advertisement Those two occasions were 2020 when they were relegated in the wake of the salary cap scandal and the following season when they played in the second tier. It has been a season of rebuilding for Mark McCall and his coaching staff after the departures of legendary players including Owen Farrell and Billy and Mako Vunipola last summer, while full-back Alex Goode has announced he would retire at the end of the season after making a Sarries record 400th appearance earlier this month. Their play-off hopes were struck a huge blow at Northampton a fortnight ago with Tarek Haffar's last-second try stealing a 28-24 victory for the Saints that left the Men in Black's hopes dangling. Their task is similar to that of Gloucester, as they go into the game with the same number of points and wins as they Cherry and Whites, but they have a substantially lower points difference of +30. Advertisement They need results above to go their way and to win by a big margin to have any hope although they are facing a substantially lower strength Bath side who are fielding seven debutants in their matchday 23.
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Sam Underhill handed four-match ban for dangerous tackle in Challenge Cup final
The Bath forward received a yellow card from Scottish referee Hollie Davidson, but a complaint was then lodged by match citing commisssioner Philippe Lenne. This is a straight red for me. Sam Underhill can count himself lucky. — Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) May 23, 2025 An independent disciplinary committee imposed the period of suspension, with European Professional Club Rugby stating his return to play date will be determined once his future playing schedule is confirmed. Bath's next fixture is a final game of the regular Premiership season against Saracens on Saturday. That is followed by a play-off on June 6, then the Premiership final eight days later if Bath get there. In terms of Underhill's potential England schedule, there is a non-cap match against France on June 21, with the first Test against Argentina two weeks after that. EPCR said: 'Underhill accepted that he had committed an act of foul play, but did not accept that it warranted a red card. 'The independent disciplinary committee upheld the complaint, finding that Underhill had tackled Davit Niniashvili in a dangerous manner that warranted a red card, and it determined that the offending was at the mid-range of World Rugby's sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point. 'The committee gave the player credit for his remorse and timely acceptance that he had committed an act of foul play. 'But because of his prior disciplinary record, the committee were only able to discount the entry point sanction by two weeks. They therefore imposed a four-week suspension.' Johann van Graan has led Bath to within sight of a trophy treble (Mike Egerton/PA) Underhill received a three-week ban in April after being sent off for a high tackle against Challenge Cup opponents Pau. He is an integral part of the Bath armoury under head of rugby Johann van Graan, and his ban is a major blow for the club. Premiership title success would see them complete an historic trophy treble this season, having already won the Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Sam Underhill banned for Premiership play-offs in huge blow for Bath
Bath's hopes of securing a trophy treble have suffered a blow with flanker Sam Underhill set to miss the Premiership play-offs after receiving a four-match ban. Underhill was shown a yellow card after making head-on-head contact with Lyon's Davit Niniashvili during the first half of Bath's Challenge Cup final win on Friday night. The 28-year-old back row was subsequently cited, however, with a disciplinary panel deeming that his tackle had reached the red card threshold. Having served a two-match ban earlier this season following a similar incident against Pau, and completed 'tackle school', Underhill's sanction has only been reduced by two weeks from a six-week entry point. His suspension therefore appears set to end his club campaign, with Underhill ruled out of table-toppers Bath's final regular season fixture at Saracens on Saturday, a home semi-final and the Premiership final should Johann van Graan's side reach the Twickenham showpiece. He may also miss the first game of England's summer programme if selected by Steve Borthwick to take on a France XV, Argentina and the USA. Underhill's non-sending off proved key as Bath emerged comprehensive 37-12 victors in Cardiff to secure their second trophy of the season. Referee Hollie Davidson deemed there was significant mitigation to not show a red card to the flanker after consultation with television match official Mike Adamson. Sam Underhill was only shown a yellow card for his tackle on Davit Niniashvili (Andrew Matthews/PA Wire) Bath won the Premiership Rugby Cup in March and now set their sights on ending a nearly 30-year wait for a Premiership title. They were beaten in the final by Northampton last year but have emerged as favourites to go one better on 14 June, and will host the first semi-final eight days prior at The Rec.
Daily Maverick
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
World Club Cup green-lighted, placing more pressure on SA teams to perform in Europe
While plans to stage the inaugural World Club Cup gather momentum, there's reason to be concerned about the state of South Africa's rugby franchises. The European Cup finals staged in Cardiff this past weekend served as a reminder of where South African rugby is falling short. While the Springboks have won back-to-back World Cups over the past seven years, the South African franchises have struggled to compete in Europe's leading club tournament. Zero teams qualified for the Champions Cup playoffs this season, while only one – the Bulls – progressed beyond the Challenge Cup round of 16. It was great to see coach Johann van Graan and Thomas du Toit flying the flag for South Africa in Bath's resounding 37-12 win over Lyon in the Challenge Cup final, and former Springbok centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg contributing to Bordeaux-Bégles' 28-20 Champions Cup victory over Northampton Saints. But really, is this the best we can hope for, some of our best coaches and players moving abroad and winning major club titles with foreign clubs? This question is particularly relevant now that plans to stage a World Club Cup are at an advanced stage. The inaugural tournament is set to kick off in June 2028, and the news, as SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer told Rapport, should force the South African franchises to take the European tournaments more seriously in the intervening years. How World Club Cup could work There's a lot that needs to be worked out, financially and logistically, before the tournament kicks off in three years. That said, news of a meeting between the chief decision-makers in Cardiff was quickly followed by a European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) press release, which highlighted an agreement between domestic competitions such as the French Top 14, United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific. Clearly there is a collective will to get this concept over the line. The 'Rugby World Club Cup' will be staged every four years, in the first year of the existing World Cup cycle. 'We had great meetings with our board, great meetings with our general assembly, who represent the three leagues and stakeholders from seven unions, and everyone is unanimous about wanting to deliver a World Club Cup – through EPCR,' chairperson Dominic McKay confirmed. The entire club schedule is set to change, with domestic tournaments staging their playoffs earlier to ensure the World Club Cup plays out at the climax of the season. The Champions Cup playoffs will fall away that season, while the pool matches could serve as a pathway to the global club event. Sixteen teams will qualify for the World Club Cup and compete across four pools. Eight of the qualifiers will be drawn from the Champions Cup, seven from Super Rugby Pacific and one from Japan Rugby League One. How South Africa fits into the equation In the wake of the announcement some have expressed concerns about player welfare, given that the new tournament will add fixtures to an already congested rugby calendar. 'To reassure everyone, we've thought about this from a player's perspective, from a fan's perspective and from a future fan's perspective,' McKay added. At the moment, organisers plan to stage the entire tournament in Europe, which could solve the problem of teams flying in and out of the southern hemisphere – and from far-flung Japan – weekly. But back to the question of the South African teams – will they actually feature at this tournament? In answering that question, it's worth looking at which 16 teams would qualify on the basis of 2024-25 season results. Based on the rankings after the Champions Cup pool phase, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Leinster, La Rochelle, Northampton, Castres, Toulon and Glasgow would advance to the elite tournament. Going by the Super Rugby Pacific log after 12 rounds, the Chiefs, Crusaders, Brumbies, Hurricanes, Reds, Moana Pasifika and the Blues would qualify. One of the Kubota Spears or Toshiba Brave Lupus – who will contest this week's JRLO final – would represent Japan. At a glance, it's a good spread that promises to serve up some dream match-ups, but the South African teams are conspicuous by their absence. Three years to get things right Nobody expects a South African team to win the Champions Cup at this stage. The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are still coming to terms with the nature of the tournament since making their debut in 2022-23, and don't warrant comparison with perennial title contenders such as Toulouse and Leinster. What South African fans, critics and stakeholders do expect, of course, is progress. Unfortunately, results show how the leading teams have regressed over the past three seasons. After qualifying for the playoffs in 2022-23, the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers registered one win apiece in the 2024-25 pool phase, and did not feature again in the premier European tournament. There's a concern across all four South African franchises that they don't possess the personnel or resources to compete across two tournaments and, with this in mind, have prioritised the URC. Will anything change in the 2025-26 season? All three teams have made some important signings, and it's hoped that the new additions as well as a fresh mindset may lead to more favourable results in the Champions Cup. At the very least, these teams should be gunning for two home wins during the pool phase and – for the more ambitious – a home quarterfinal. As Oberholzer recently suggested, time is running out to get things right. The local teams need to start building towards that World Club Cup sooner rather than later. If they continue on their present course, South African rugby could face the ultimate embarrassment of missing the quadrennial event altogether. The next tournament will be staged in 2032, and by then many of the current players may have moved on. When Rassie Erasmus took up the role of director of rugby in 2018, he pledged to transform South African rugby into a superpower. The Boks have racked up the accolades in subsequent years, and are currently at the top of the rankings, but South Africa's franchises aren't even among club rugby's chasing pack, let alone contenders for the top prize. A hat-trick of World Cups is a worthwhile goal – and a feat that is unlikely to be matched in future, if ever again. But we've reached the point where South African rugby needs to be more ambitious in between World Cups, and the franchises need to be held to a higher standard. Again, few will bet on a South African team to win the inaugural World Club Cup in 2028, but it would be a travesty if none of the franchises makes the 16-team cut. DM
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Challenge Cup final: Another big step forward for coach Johann van Graan
A number of South Africans will be involved in the final, in the coaching teams and playing groups. While South African rugby fans won't be too bothered about who wins Friday night's EPCR Challenge Cup final between Bath and Lyon in Cardiff, there will certainly be some interest in how Bath go under former Springbok and Bulls assistant coach Johann van Graan. The 45-year-old is on the brink of securing European rugby glory for the first time in more than two decades for the club while he is also in the midst of a good run by the club which has already brought success this season. Bath won the Premiership Rugby Cup a few months ago, by beating Exeter 48-14, for their first domestic rugby title since 1996, and Van Graan's team also have a chance of winning the English Premiership title, having secured top spot on the points table with three games to play – the first time they have finished top in the regular season since 2003/4. And all this after the team finished bottom of the points table in the 2022/23 season. The South African coach took over the head coaching job the following season and he's continued to lead the team to great heights. Bulls foundation There is even talk in some quarters of Van Graan being in the mix to take over the Springbok head coaching job from Rassie Erasmus after the 2027 World Cup. That's how highly-rated the former Bulls forwards coach is in Europe and in many people's minds', locally, too. Before joining Bath, Van Graan was head coach at Munster in Ireland between 2017 and 2022, taking over from Erasmus, who left to fix the Springboks after a disappointing period between 2016 and 2017 under Allister Coetzee. Van Graan's coaching career began at the Bulls in 2004 as a young man under 25 years old. He featured in successful coaching teams headed by Heyneke Meyer and Frans Ludeke. He later joined Meyer's Bok staff between 2012 and 2015. 'Enjoy it' But on Friday it's all about continuing his building of Bath. 'Finals are awesome,' Van Graan said this week. 'I find quarterfinals and semifinals a bit more intense in the fact that you are so close and you're yet so far, whereas once you're in the final, it's a once off, winner takes all. 'You've got to enjoy finals week. At the club, we played in the Prem Cup final in the middle of March on a Sunday afternoon and last season we played in the Premiership final on a Saturday afternoon against Northampton at Twickenham. 'So, this is the first European final for the club in many years and coming up against a very good Lyon side who won this competition a few years ago.' Van Graan won't be the only South African in Bath colours on Friday night, prop Thomas du Toit and scrumhalf Louis Schreuder will also be hoping to win the title. On the side of Lyon, AB Zondagh and Coenie Basson are assistant coaches, while former Bulls No 8 Arno Botha will be in action. Who's going to take home the trophy? Kick-off on Friday night is at 9pm.
