Last season:
Bath were scintillating at times last season, enjoying a season that was comfortably their best since their mid 1990s dominance. An early season 45-0 thrashing of Leicester thanks to some breathtaking back play set the scene for the rest of the campaign.
A second place finish was enough to set up a semi-final at the Rec against Leicester and it was a similar story to early on in the season, with Bath blowing the Tigers away for the second time that season with a comprehensive 47-10 victory, setting up a first Premiership final appearance for the West Country side.
Premiership glory was a step too far for this Bath side however, with Saracens showing to be a little more streetwise on the big stage on the day. A Premiership triumph would have been just rewards for the way Bath entertained the Premiership, but their 28-16 defeat was an accurate reflection of their shortcomings on the day.
In Europe, a famous victory in Toulouse in the pool stages contributed to Bath progressing from the pool stages. An agonisingly tight quarter final defeat at the Aviva Stadium saw them bow out to Leinster in a game that really could have gone either way.
Players In:
Nikola Matawalu (Scrum half, Glasgow Warriors)
Rhys Priestland (Fly half, Scarlets)
Tom Homer (Utility back, London Irish)
Jonathan Evans (Scrum half, Newport Gwent Dragons)
Jeff Williams (Wing/Centre, England Sevens)
Minimal recruitment for Bath this summer, who already boast a strong squad that did not require large scale additions. Welsh international Priestland and Fijian Matawalu will bring proven quality to the half back positions and Homer adds depth to an already exciting back line.
Players Out
Paul James (Prop, Ospreys)
Gavin Henson (Centre, Bristol Rugby)
Olly Woodburn (Wing, Exeter Chiefs)
Micky Young (Scrum half, Newcastle Falcons)
Dave Sisi (Flanker, London Irish, loan)
Will Skuse (Flanker, London Welsh)
Richard Lane (Wing, Jersey)
Peter Stringer (Scrum half, Sale Sharks)
Carl Fearns (Back row, Lyon)
There is minimal departure from Bath’s starting XV, which should excite their fans with the thought of the sand group of players continuing to develop together. In James and Fearns in particular, they are losing pack options that have not been replaced but should still have the depth to account for this.
Key Man:
South African international Francois Louw continues to be a commanding figure in Bath’s back row. Whilst the likes of Jonathan Joseph, Kyle Eastmond, George Ford, Matt Banahan and Semesa Rokoduguni capture the headlines with their exciting play and try scoring exploits, it is the good ball won by Louw that creates the platform for them to play on. The leadership that he offers along with the quality he adds makes him the most important man in Bath’s quest to go one better this season.
Hopes and Fears:
Bath are legitimate candidates to be this season’s Premiership champions. In many ways, this side progressing even beyond their successes of last season would be just rewards for the entertaining brand of rugby that they are promoting at the Rec.
If the back line can fire as they did last season and George Ford can play on the front foot to release them as much as possible then there can be no doubt that this back line will continue to cause damage.
This is now a team packed full of internationals, which does present its own problems in an abnormal season with no LV Cup. During the Six Nations, Bath will be short of a number of key players and their ability to achieve another home semi-final will hinge on how well they cope in this period.
Bath’s European Champions Cup pool for the coming season could not be any tougher, coming up against champions Toulon as well as Leinster and Wasps. If they can find a way out of that pool, they could well have the quality to go far.
Much discussion in the media will centre around Sam Burgess. Used as an inside centre for England in the Rugby World Cup, Bath now see him as more of a blindside flanker. Indeed, it was at 6 that his best performances have come in the Premiership, but the club v country debate over his best position and the scrutiny and spotlight that will inevitably fall on his every performance does have the potential to become a distraction. Bath will be hoping that his performances in the back row will do the talking.
LWOS Prediction:
They have not had a better opportunity at being English champions in twenty years. This year really could be their year.
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