Bath Rugby: What the Team is Doing Right

The Premiership season finished back in May with Bath recording a huge 61-29 win over league leaders Saracens. It was a comfortable if unspectacular season for Bath, but there was still plenty of positives to take from the season with a look forward to the next. Rugby has become increasingly popular among sports bettors in the UK and with online betting you can now wager on Premiership games at your fingertips.  

With the 2022/23 season now wrapped up, lets take a look at the positives we can take away from Bath Rugby club right now. 

Ollie Lawrences performances  

Ollie Lawrence was the best player in the Premiership by quite some way last season. He was awarded the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season after joining the club from Worcester Warriors earlier in the season. He scored five tries in 12 games for Bath and his ability to beat defenders has dazzled fans in 22/23. He was also solid defensively, securing 11 turnovers and finishing the season with an 89% tackle completion rate.  

His efforts saw him find his way back into the England squad and he featured majorly during the Six Nations under Steve Borthwick. Signing Lawrence to a long-term deal was the best piece of business that Bath had conducted in quite some time and the 23-year-old centre is sure to have another good season in 23/24.  

Back in the Champions Cup 

After a season out, Bath will be back in the Heineken Champions Cup next year following their 8th placed finish this past season. This is following on from the new format of the tournament in which the top 8 teams from the United Rugby Championship, Top 14 Rugby and Premiership rugby qualify. Bath of course has a great history in the tournament dating back to 1998, when they became England’s first ever winners.  

They recorded a dramatic 19-18 victory over CA Brive in the final at Bordeaux’s Stade Lescure. Being back in the Champions Cup is a great achievement for the fans and players alike and there will be high hopes upon their return to the tournament in 23/24. 

Tom Dunn’s Tries 

Tom Dunn was the team’s top scoring player last season, securing 12 tries to place him as the third overall scorer in the league. The 30-year-old hooker’s form was integral to Bath’s road to Champions Cup qualification. He capped off his year with a monster performance against Saracens in the final game of the season where he scored a hattrick of tries in their 32-point win over the league leaders. Dunn was the shining light of Bath’s attack in 22/23 and fans will be hoping he can continue that form into next season. 

The Breakdown

One of the best things to watch for fans of Bath Rugby last season was their work in the breakdown. The team’s ability to push up the field fresh off of the tackle and ruck was extremely impressive at times with the likes of the aforementioned Lawrence and Josh Bayliss being especially impressive on the break. There was clearly plenty of work put into securing turnovers throughout the season and it was evident in the way the team played. 

Hiring Lee Blackett 

In May the club announced that former Wasps head coach Lee Blackett will be joining the club as assistant coach. Head coach Johaan Van Graan has spoken incredibly highly of Blackett, saying “If you look at the players he has coached before, he has made a real difference. Not only in their rugby careers but in their lives [too].” Speaking on why he saw it as the right decision to join Bath, Blackett said “I just want to be involved in a team that picks up silverware…I think in the next few years there is everything in place for that team to be at the business end of competitions.” 

Hiring Richard Blaze 

Another personnel hire that is sure to bring good things to the club is Richard Blaze’s appointment as a forwards coach. Although still only 38, Blaze has already coached at Wasps, Leicester Tigers and at youth international levels. This experience will no doubt be incredible for the players and Van Graan has spoken of how he has followed his career saying “I came across Blazey more than a decade ago…I followed his career and stayed in touch with him. His Leicester forward back was confrontational with a hard edge but clinical.” With new, experienced personnel at the club it seems that Bath is preparing for the first season back in the Heineken Champions Cup thoroughly.