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There’s still a long and winding road ahead in the Premiership this season, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Bath were the team setting the pace in the end. On an opening night that brought together last season’s finalists, the finalists showed precisely why they are favorites to go one better this campaign by gaining some revenge on champions Northampton Saints.
For three months, Bath could have regretted and resented the whys and wherefores of a final they came so close to winning despite the early sending off of Beno Obano. Instead, Johann van Graan ensured that his team grew again to ensure that, should they return to the Twickenham stage next June, that club’s long drought without a trophy would come to an end.
An offseason of outings around the Premiership hasn’t necessarily extended to Somerset – and that’s part of why Bath look so well placed. Of the team that started the final, only Matt Gallagher left the club for pastures new, leaving a stable group further accentuated by astute additions like Guy Pepper, a useful understudy to Sam Underhill who is soon expected to follow his new colleague in White England.
Perhaps the best illustration of Bath’s depth comes from Tighthead. Few clubs can call on three international props, but even without Springbok Thomas du Toit here, Van Graan could call on Archie Griffin for Will Stuart following a make-or-break summer tour with Wales. The 23-year-old’s scrum impact has proven decisive – and Bath also have exceptionally highly-rated Billy Sela in their squad.
There could have been few more perfect settings to launch the new season, with the traditional charms of The Rec on full display under cherry skies as day turned to night. Some of the frustration that has festered in these parts since their last near miss manifested itself in a quick departure. For the first seven minutes, Bath won almost every collision. Joe Cokanasiga won the most important of these, beating Northampton scrum-half Tom James after some neat work from Tom de Glanville.
Clues to two contrasting summers were contained in both team sheets. Where Bath’s unit largely resembled Twickenham’s, Northampton’s was notable for the absence of Alex Waller, Lewis Ludlam and Courtney Lawes, with an entire management corps having left after distinguished service.
The tricky task of filling Lawes’ boots fell to Australian recruit Josh Kemeny, who quickly endeared himself to traveling Saints fans with a torrid scoreline on the touchline following George Furbank’s timely surge. Eyebrows were raised when Eddie Jones spoke of the flanker as a possible option on the wing during his brief spell with Australia; Judging by his sprint down the sideline here, this might not have been Jones’ stupidest plan.
But Kemeny’s try proved the visitors’ strong point in a controlled mid-Bath. A sharp clearance from center Will Butt allowed Ted Hill to thunder under the posts before a corner kick bore fruit, courtesy of a delicious dummy and dart from captain Ben Spencer.
Spencer was one of many interested in watching England head coach Steve Borthwick. With scrum-half Alex Mitchell unavailable for Northampton as he awaits scans on a neck injury, Spencer stepped up to produce exactly the kind of performance that has become his trademark in recent seasons.
There may be others with greater gifts to change or shape a game at international level, but there are no nine in the Premiership as important to their team as Spencer. He, not his full-back partner Finn Russell, is the emperor on the Roman city side.
“For him to come and deliver that performance was special,” Van Graan said of Spencer’s performance. “I went to see him a few weeks ago because it’s important that your captain wants to lead the club, and he certainly wants to lead the group. He has big dreams in international rugby, but Ben is a winner – you saw it at his old club [Saracens]but especially since he became captain of our club. He got better and better.
Two strikes from Fin Smith’s boot kept Northampton in touch before Bath took control of the contest. An opportunistic try from Ollie Lawrence was converted from the touchline by Russell, who then added three more. By the time Jaco Coetzee crashed over from the back of a speeding scrum in the final minute, Bath fans were testing the structural integrity of this quaint old ground.
Because even if last year felt like Saints’ season as they said goodbye to club heroes and founded new ones, there’s every chance it was Bath’s campaign. Enviable depth in the back and forward rows meshes well with Mitchell’s authority, while power players Lawrence and Cokanasiga continue to enjoy Russell’s distribution. Even at this early stage, it looks like Bath will have to pause somewhat.
“We didn’t waste any energy in the final this week,” Van Graan said. “We looked at it a few weeks ago. Our last game was in the final against Northampton but there was no sense of redemption otherwise we have to beat them. It’s one game in 18 against a very good team. Last season proved that if you win your home games and win one or two on the road, you’ll be pretty close to a top four finish.
