2 days ago
7
Bath are not letting unit to triumph a trophy impact them arsenic they spell into the caller Premiership campaign, says caput of rugby Johann van Graan.
The nine finished runners-up to Northampton successful last season's last astatine Twickenham successful a rollercoaster lucifer that saw them travel from down with 14 men to astir clinch triumph successful the last play of the game.
The nine person not won a league trophy since 1996 and statesman the caller play with a reunion against Saints astatine the Recreation Ground connected Friday.
"Obviously we privation to triumph a trophy. We've ne'er said that we don't privation to. But we are not successful the [business of] predicting erstwhile this volition happen," Van Graan told BBC Radio Somerset.
"Hopefully it happens sooner alternatively than aboriginal and america arsenic a radical person tasted it - we were virtually 1 play distant from winning it and there's nary warrant you'll get backmost determination again."
The 2024-25 run is Van Graan's 3rd astatine the helm with the nine progressing rapidly since helium took over.
Most of the squad from past play has been retained and the South African hopes the continuity crossed the unit and playing squad continues the upward trajectory this season.
Lock Ross Molony and backmost enactment Guy Pepper are among conscionable 4 caller arrivals.
"In presumption of pressure, Bath haven't won a trophy for a precise agelong time. The lone unit we person is the unit that we person internally - we privation to beryllium portion of thing special," added Van Graan.
"But what athletics teaches you is if you triumph a crippled it doesn't mean that you're successful, and if you suffer a crippled it doesn't mean you're unsuccessful."
Ben Spencer, who retains the captaincy this season, said determination was a "huge consciousness of pride" taken from reaching past season's final, adjacent much truthful aft finishing bottommost of the array successful 2021-22.
But the nine bash not privation to settee for simply reaching the league's showpiece match, the scrum-half insisted.
"To get to the last was large and it was a peculiar time but I deliberation we're decidedly looking to spell 1 measurement further this year," Spencer said.
"You ever acceptable retired astatine the commencement of the play wanting to triumph silverware."
Bath finished 2nd successful the array astatine the extremity of the regular season, level connected points with Saints.
Just six points separated the apical 5 clubs and Spencer expects it volition beryllium different adjacent contention this clip around.
"The 1 happening that came crossed powerfully past twelvemonth is it's a agelong season, each constituent matters," helium added.
"I deliberation determination was lone 1 crippled wherever we didn't travel distant with immoderate points astatine all.
"The aged cliche of staying 1 week astatine a clip and looking astatine 1 crippled astatine a clip volition beryllium truly important for america this year."
English (US)