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Bath evolution under Hooper places stake on the heavyweights

By Alex Shaw
Rhys Priestland looks on a scrum

After a number of years of underperforming – relative to the resources and talent at their disposal – Bath made the decision to promote from within and hand the reins of the club to Stuart Hooper, with the young director of rugby facing some unenviable expectations.

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After nearly lifting the title under Mike Ford in the 2014/15 season, Bath regressed heavily the following campaign, a decline which prompted the hiring of then-Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder. Three seasons of Heineken Champions Cup qualification followed, with the club finishing 5th in his first season, before 6th place finishes in 2018 and 2019; although the gap between themselves and the top two of Saracens and Exeter Chiefs, if anything, only seemed to widen.

There is little to no track record of Hooper in the top job to make assessments of how he will potentially look to build and mould the team moving forward, although on Saturday afternoon, when high-flying Northampton Saints came to the Rec, the foundations of the rebuild or evolution of the side became a little clearer.

The club recruited heavily in the front row over the summer, adding dynamic young props Will Stuart and Lewis Boyce to the mix, as well as a potent scrummager in the form of Christian Judge. These players were added to a group that already boasted Beno Obano and Nathan Catt, and internationals Henry Thomas and Lucas Noguera Paz. At hooker, they are able to call upon a talented triumvirate of Tom Dunn, Jack Walker and Ross Batty.

Combined with the hiring of scrum expert Neal Hatley as forwards coach, there clearly seems to be a focus at Farleigh House on building one of the more potent set-piece units in European rugby and as most teams zig towards the seemingly more influential lineout, Bath could be zagging towards the scrum, whose diminishing value was reinvigorated by the Springboks in the recent Rugby World Cup final.

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At the Rec on Saturday, Bath put Northampton’s tight five through the mill as they enjoyed near complete control at the scrum. Front rowers Stuart, Walker and Boyce – all former teammates at the England under-20 level in 2016 – showed that they can contribute to a dominant display in the tight, despite perhaps being better known for their ability in the loose. Obano and Dunn both showed the set-piece growth they have undergone over the last couple of years and, unsurprisingly, Judge kept the unit’s foot on the throat of Saints’ scrum from the bench.

If the club’s cadre of talented front rowers can also bring their ability in the loose to full bear, it will create quite the foundation for Hooper and his charges. Certain teams have committed to back row depth or versatile centre options, but none are seemingly investing the same kind of resources and faith into a group of front rowers. It’s an interesting trend to watch moving forward and if they can balance that set-piece focus with a level of freedom to express themselves in the loose, it’s a potentially explosive group.

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Despite the front row not quite having that influence in the loose on Saturday, it was the best team performance of the season so far, with Bath’s only other win coming at home against Exeter Chiefs in round two. On paper, the win over Exeter might seem more impressive, but it was against Northampton where the team genuinely showed signs of beginning to click, particularly in the forward pack. In terms of the back line lacking a little gloss, that’s not too surprising, given that Joe Cokanasiga, Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson and Ruaridh McConnochie all still need to be reintroduced after the Rugby World Cup.

Bath Hooper front row
Stuart Hooper has begun to put his stamp on Bath. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Making the Rec a tough place to go and win will likely be Hooper’s initial priority and it seems he has made a good start in that goal, though Bath’s form on the road has been a lot less inspiring. After being turned inside out by Bristol Bears on the opening night of the season, they followed that up with a loss away at Wasps, who look like a team that, in the early goings at least, should genuinely be wary of relegation this season. As we complete the first block of Premiership fixtures, that home and away disparity has been the story of Bath’s young season.

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Given that the rugby can tighten up somewhat when the big European fixtures roll around and success is predicated on clean sweeping at home, it’s not crazy to suggest that Bath have a solid chance of qualifying from their Champions Cup pool this season. That campaign is set to commence this Saturday when they welcome Ulster to the Rec, before they head to the Stoop to play Harlequins in round two, with back-to-back fixtures against Clermont in December.

Ulster and Clermont have both made solid starts to the season, although the latter is perhaps a couple of wins below where they would like to be, even with their Rugby World Cup absentees. Harlequins, though, have struggled initially to build on their successes of last season, having fallen to three defeats in their opening four games. All three, however, pose a strong and appetising challenge to Bath’s newly bolstered front row.

Given the age profile of the club’s pack, which also does not lack for talent in the second or back rows, this could become a strength for them that they can lean on for a number of seasons moving forward. Combined with the quality they have in the back three and the promising talents, such as Max Ojomoh, Tom de Glanville and Nahum Merigan, that they are bringing through at other positions, there are shoots of life in the West Country.

We will get a better idea of how Hooper really wants this team playing once those internationals are back involved, though the early signs up front are of improvement and a solid return on their summer recruitment.

Watch: The Season – Hamilton Boys High School – Episode 1

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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