Johann van Graan hails 'amazing' Gallagher Premiership after Bath snatch victory over Bristol Bears - 'Rugby is alive'
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Updated 18/11/2023 at 00:07 GMT
Johann van Graan said he is adamant the Gallagher Premiership is in a good place and called on people to focus on the positives after watching his Bath side snatch a late win over Bristol Bears at home. A number of clubs in England's top tier have run into financial trouble of late but the South African insisted "rugby is alive" following the World Cup and the strong start to the Premiership.
Alfie Barbeary of Bath Rugby celebrates with team-mate Cameron Redpath at the final whistle during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Bath Rugby and Bristol Bears Rugby at The Recreation Ground.
Image credit: Getty Images
Johann van Graan believes this season’s Gallagher Premiership Rugby has already built on the momentum of the World Cup and has shown “rugby is alive” and very much well.
The Bath head coach was speaking after watching his side hang onto a one-point victory over West Country rivals Bristol Bears at the Recreation Ground and said now was the time to look forward and build on the positives following the financial issues that forced some stalwarts of English rugby to fold.
“We live in a world where the negatives are highlighted, we've got to focus on the positives,” Van Graan said. "We've got brilliant players in this Premiership. We've got 10 teams that all respect each other.
“When we lost Wasps and Worcester and London Irish, we all felt for them and we took as much as coaches and players as we could.
“We’re standing together and you know, even with Jersey Reds going down, it's tough. But it doesn't help to look at the past you’ve got to look at the future and how we can fix this together.
“What the World Cup has shown is that rugby is alive. And what the Premiership has shown is there’s respect.
“The values in the game, in the Premiership, is brilliant, and we've got to keep talking about the positive stuff, the amazing people, the amazing clubs that we have in this Premiership and long may it continue.”
Ollie Lawrence, who Van Graan described as “a special man”, inspired Bath to a 17-7 lead at the break before Bristol hit back with two quick scores in the second-half.
A Finn Russell penalty as the rain poured down eventually sealed the deal in what was a tense and thrilling encounter from start to finish.
It, as well as Newcastle’s visit to Sale, kick-started the Premiership’s highly anticipated derby weekend and Van Graan hailed the spirit in which the game was played in.
“We lost last season by two points and I think by one point by two kicks and it really matters to the crowd,” he added
“Bristol and Bath are so close to each other, and this is a rivalry that goes beyond a century so long before we came here this has been going on and I credit the spirit in which it was played and the spirit in which the crowd was supporting both teams.
“Massive noise there at the end, I came down to the pitch in the last three minutes. Incredible noise.”
Russell threw an intercept try and then missed a simple kick in front of the posts but was able to slot the decisive penalty, with Van Graan insisting he had “absolute trust” in his players to get the job done and make it four wins from six.
“It's something you learn as a coach is you've got to become the most composed person in the stadium and if the players see you panic, they're going to panic,” he said.
“We do all our work in the week and then you relay messages, you change tactics but at the end of the day, they've got to perform on the pitch and they did that.
“We kept our nerve in the scrum which is a massive positive three weeks on from when we lost here to Leicester and then it comes down to small margins, so absolute trust in this group.”
Warburton praises Bath hunger
Former Wales international Sam Warburton heaped praise on the culture Van Graan has been able to create in such a short space of time at the club.
For all they are renowned as one of the most attacking and entertaining teams to watch, the TNT Sports pundit picked out their effort level as one of the main attributes that sets them apart.
“We said at the start about how the energy from the Bath team seems to have eclipsed all the other teams,” Warburton said.
“The last play of the game, Joe Cokanasiga haring up the pitch on the kick chase, he defended really well on the right wing and shut it off a lot of times, but just that effort you see at the end, and that was typified all throughout the game.
“In these sort of tight margins they're targeting the ball fairly well and creating maul turnovers but that sort of attitude is something that, without trying to embarrass Johann, you want to play for your coach and when you watch Bath play, they seem like they're doing that and they're a happy group, a motivated group.
“I think as a coach one of the hardest things is when you win your lads over you get them to run through brick walls for you, it’s like 80 per cent of the job. It seems like Johann’s got that.
“He’s got the buy-in from the players, you’re seeing that with the hunger, the emotional intensity they’re bringing to the defence and all those small moments matter.”
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