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BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Everyone feels part of the same vision' - squad depth key to Bath success
Bath's second-half demolition of Leicester three weeks ago summed up the challenge facing opposition teams this season when confronting the Premiership Ojomoh, Guy Pepper, Ross Molony, Will Stuart and Francois van Wyk were among the players brought on from the bench to see out the match - Ojomoh, who played just 34 minutes, made such an impact he was named player of the strength in depth developed under Johann van Graan has been a major factor in Bath finishing 11 points clear at the top and they head into this weekend's semi-finals as favourites to claim what would be their first title since they overcome Bristol on Friday and then the winners of the Leicester-Sale semi at Twickenham on 14 June, the West Country side would also seal a historic treble, having already clinched the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Tigers, in 2001, are the only other English club to win a 'treble' in the modern era, although theirs consisted of the Premiership, the elite European (formerly Heineken) Cup and the Zurich Championship, a short-lived end-of-season knockout competition just for the top eight teams in the league. "For the last 35 rounds we've been in the top four, over two seasons, so we've become better and we've become comfortable with being favourites," head of rugby Van Graan said last month of the expectation around his squad."We keep it within our circle, stick to our process - which we've become very good at - and just enjoy it." Bath ended the 18 rounds of the regular season with the most potent attack in the league, scoring 651 points, and also the strongest defence, conceding only 417. Van Graan has repeatedly talked about squad rotation being key. No player has featured in all 18 Premiership matches and while 23 players have played in at least half of those games, only 15 have started nine games or more. Half-backs Finn Russell (15 starts, plus one outing as a replacement) and Ben Spencer (13 games, all as a starter) have featured most among the backs. In the forwards, hooker Tom Dunn (16 games, 12 starts) and locks Charlie Ewels (15 games, 12 starts) and Quinn Roux (13 games, 13 starts) have played the their bruising 61-26 defeat in the Challenge Cup at the Recreation Ground in April, Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said it was impossible for the opposition to predict Bath's match-day squad. "I think they're the only team that you play that you don't know the starting line-up – you don't know what the 23 is going to be," he said. Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter agreed it was "seamless" for players to rotate in and out of the Bath side."They've looked at how they want to build a squad - what they want a squad to look like," Baxter said prior to the Chiefs' 24-26 home defeat in April. "That's made them very difficult to beat to start with and then they've expanded on that - they now have that group of 30 players, it's quite seamless how they step in and out of the squad."Newcastle Falcons consultant director of Steve Diamond went as far as to describe Bath as "the Galacticos" and compared them to the all-conquering Saracens side that dominated English rugby between 2018 and 2023. Players 'given opportunities' - Underhill Bath's strength is easily visible in the impact their replacements have had on matches this the 60th minute onwards - when fresh legs are typically brought on - across all 18 Premiership rounds, Bath have scored the most and conceded the least of all 10 clubs. They scored 209 points - 32% of their total 651 points - in the final quarter, although high-scoring Bristol, their semi-final opponents, are a close second with 200 points - 31.5% of their total of defence the gap widens significantly. Bath conceded just 79 points in the final 20 minutes - 18.9% of their total 417. By contrast, Leicester conceded 28.5% of their total points during this same timeframe, Sale 29.9% and Bristol 22.2%. Flanker Sam Underhill believes that the club's strength in depth has come from giving young players opportunities, rather than purely through buying power. He pointed to the likes of back-rowers Arthur Green and Ethan Staddon, among those to make their Premiership debuts this year, as well as Ewan Richards, who captained their Premiership Rugby Cup-winning side and went on to start two of the past three league games."I think everyone's got good depth in their squad; it's just the way it's used," Underhill said."There's good strength in depth but that's not just because we've signed 60 good players, that's because we've given opportunities to people, let them grow their game in a sporting environment." Players know they need to 'deliver' Ewels is one of Bath's longest serving players and said in April he believes the squad is currently being managed the "best" he has seen, with player rotation driving competition. "Everyone feels connected and part of the same vision because there's a very hard chance they've played and been a part of it, and if not training has been better and therefore they've been pushing the team that have played," he said."The guys that are playing more minutes, they aren't now being expected to go weekend after weekend."They know that when they get the opportunity to play, they need to deliver and they know they're going to be managed and looked after."Bath were so far ahead of their rivals they secured top spot and a home semi-final when they beat Newcastle six weeks ago, with three rounds still to play. While Leicester, Sale and Bristol had to wait until Saturday to secure their top-four places, Bath rested all their frontline players ahead of Friday's semi-final, fielding seven debutants in their match-day 23 against Saracens. Results over the next two weeks will tell us how much of an advantage that has given Bath having bolstered their squad for next season with Argentina full-back Santiago Carreras, England wing Henry Arundell and Scotland centre Chris Harris among their signings, this is a team that only looks like getting stronger.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ross Molony: ‘Moving to Bath has done wonders for my career'
If Ross Molony had any doubts or even a hint of second thoughts about his move from Leinster , they were certainly dispelled when Bath won the Challenge Cup in the Principality Stadium last Friday night. It may have been a relative consolation prize after Bath were dumped out of the Champions Cup, but the moral of Molony's story is that it's better to have won one medal than none at all. Molony used two words to describe the experience. 'Class' and 'unbelievable'. Speaking to The Irish Times after Bath's win over Lyon, which was like a home match for the English club thanks to its proximity Cardiff, Molony described the extent to which he feels privileged to be a part of the Bath story. 'It's a special group, first and foremost. I've come into something that they've been building for two years and 11 months now, and to be a part of it, and to see what it means to those lads, I guess to enjoy it as much as I did out there was class. 'Then from a personal point of view, as we know, I've been involved in a lot of these weekends over the years that haven't gone well and that was pretty sweet.' READ MORE Molony may only have played the last 10 minutes of Bath's 37-12 win over Lyon but that was his 24th appearance of the season, eight of which have been in Europe, including four of his dozen starts. 'I've played a lot of rugby this season and whatever way they want to go about the impacts and how the bench come on I'm not complaining. When the final whistle went, I've had game time in the final. I'm delighted to be here and to be on the winning side of it.' Bath are a club transformed since the arrival of Johann van Graan from Munster in 2022 and Finn Russell a year later. Marooned at the bottom of the Premiership in 2021-22, a season in which they suffered a record 64-0 defeat in their local derby against Gloucester, part of the reason they were later described as 'broken as a club' by van Graan. They finished eighth the following season, and in the next one they rose to second before suffering a painful 25-21 loss to Northampton in the final at Twickenham. In March they ended a 17-year trophy drought by winning the Premiership Cup and have now added the Challenge Cup, the second leg of a targeted treble. Ross Molony wins a lineout against for Bath against Lyon on in the Challenge Cup final. Photograph: Gaspafotos/The tens of thousands who made the one hour or so trip across the Severn Bridge provided proof that the dominant force of English rugby in the 1990s is buzzing again. 'It was cool. I was walking around Cardiff today and there was a special buzz. My parents [Una and Kevin] were here as well so it was great to have them over. It did feel like a home game to be honest.' The emergence of Russell to a customary phalanx of cameras and microphones had proved a welcome distraction in the mixed zone of the Principality Stadium before Molony started talking, with the Scot serenaded by three other Bath team-mates with chants of: 'We love Finn, we do. We love you Finn, we do.' Bath sit 15 points clear atop the Premiership and both Molony and Russell believe this Challenge Cup triumph can be an important 'stepping stone' toward a first Premiership title since 1996, when they claimed a sixth in eight seasons. 'We will enjoy this but then there's three massive games, against Sarries next week and then into a home semi-final. We can only be as good as our next game so it's important we turn the page on Tuesday after a couple of beers this weekend,' said Molony. Asked to compare Bath and Leinster, Molony said: 'They are two extremely competitive sides in terms of training and quality of coaches and players.' At 31, the switch has evidently re-energised him too. 'It's done wonders for my career. It's motivated me moving into a new environment, new coaching staff, new playing group, new competitions, so it's brilliant for me and I've loved every minute of it.' Ross Molony says he is enjoying life at Bath. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Molony was a shrewd piece of business by van Graan. When starting, or as in the last 10 minutes against Lyon, Molony has been entrusted with calling the lineouts and he speaks highly of forwards coach Richard Blaze and fellow lock Charlie Ewels. The former Leinster lock still has two more seasons on his contract and says he would be happy to see out his career in Bath. 'I love it in Bath. The city is great and it really feels like the start of something special.' He says working with van Graan is 'brilliant', adding: 'He's brought in the right people around him, he's an incredible man manager, I think he facilitates the group incredibly well. He gets the best out of people and delivers his message incredibly well. He's someone you want to play for and you need that at the top of an organisation. It filters down through the quality of coaches and players that we have.' Not only is it nice to win medals and be part of a buoyant, upwardly mobile club, but there are worse places in the world to live than Bath. Molony has been inundated with visits from his parents, friends and former team-mates. 'I'm in a two-bed house and it's rare that the spare room is empty for home games. The Rec is a special place to play. It helps that we're doing well, people want to come and watch us. I've landed on my feet with a great group.'
Irish Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time and TV channel is Bath v Lyon on in the Challenge Cup final tonight
Johann van Graan's move to Bath Rugby in 2022 was greeted as a relief by some Munster fans and as a bit of an insult by others, when he turned down a new two-year contract to remain with the Reds. He was moving to the team on the bottom of the English Premiership but, three years later, Bath are closing on the treble. They won the Premiership Rugby Cup in February and are in a strong position in the Premiership - 15 points ahead of the chasing pack ahead of the play-offs. The short trip to Wales gives them the opportunity to secure the second part of the treble with Bath hoping to make it two Challenge Cup wins from five - they last won the tournament in 2008 and were runners-up in 2003, 2007 and 2014. Former Leinster second row Ross Molony, who is in his first season with the club, has been named on the bench. Former Leinster and Munster lock Quinn Roux starts for the English outfit. The final takes place at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff The final kicks off at 8pm on Friday It will be shown live on Premier Sports 1 (from 7pm) Hollie Davidson will referee the final, with fellow Scot Mike Adamson appointed as TMO Bath to win 1/7, Lyon to win 9/2, draw 22/1 Lyon, meanwhile, won the 2022 final against Toulon. They also saw off French opposition in the semi-final this season, beating Racing 92, but they have lost three of their last five games overall. Their skipper and out-half Léo Berdeu was the star of the show in the semi-final and his showdown with Bath No.10 Finn Russell could be crucial to the outcome. 'Any team goes through experiences together," said van Graan. "The fact that we've played in a Premiership final, a Premiership Cup final and now an EPCR Challenge Cup Final, it's all experiences, great experiences. 'We respect French rugby - many of the world's best players play over there. We respect Lyon for who they are. They won this competition a few years ago, they've got some fantastic individuals and I'm sure it will be a big test. "They're a really good side, they're well coached. They've got a good scrum, line-out, ball-carriers and they're a good counter-attacking side", he said. Bath Rugby: Tom de Glanville, Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Will Butt, Will Muir, Finn Russell, Ben Spencer (capt); Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Will Stuart, Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels, Ted Hill, Sam Underhill, Miles Reid. Replacements: Niall Annett, Francois van Wyk, Thomas du Toit, Ross Molony, Guy Pepper, Tom Carr-Smith, Ciaran Donoghue, Alfie Barbeary. Lyon: Davit Niniashvili, Vincent Rattez, Josiah Maraku, Theo Millet, Ethan Dumortier, Léo Berdeu, Baptiste Couilloud (capt); Jérôme Rey, Camille Chat, Jermaine Ainsley, Theo William, Mickael Guillard, Dylan Cretin, Beka Saginadze, Arno Botha. Replacements: Guillaume Marchand, Hamza Kaabeche, Irakli Aptsiauri, Félix Lambey, Liam Allen, Maxime Gouzou, Martin Page-Relo, Martin Meliande.
