Bloodlines: Future Bath backline could be something special

It may seem fanciful on the face of it but given a fair wind and a bit of luck along the way, there is the very real prospect that Bath’s entire backline in the not-too-distant future could be made up of sons of past greats.

Father-and-son double acts are already a thing at The Rec, where the strong rugby genes of former England duo, Phil de Glanville and Steve Ojomoh, have been passed down to current first-team stars, Tom de Glanville and Max Ojomoh, who still have plenty of miles left on the clock.

And another Bath dynasty will be in evidence at Kingsholm today (Sunday). Those Bath supporters unfamilar with the generational supply line of talent coming through the club will probably do a double take when U18s co-captain Max Hooper leads the team out against their Bristol Bears counterparts for the final of the PREM Next Gen competition.

If they’ve not already guessed the link through his name, Max is the spitting image of his father and former Bath captain and Director of Rugby Stuart (minus the cauliflower ears), whose troublesome reign in charge reached a nadir at Kingsholm when the Blue, Black and White suffered a 64-0 thrashing at the hands of their bitter rivals Gloucester in 2022.

However, those dark clouds have long since lifted, with Bath celebrating a treble-winning campaign last season, with no end of homegrown talent coming through the pipeline to silence those that say Bath bought their success.

If Max Hooper, and others in the club’s junior setup, turn out to be as good as everyone predicts, big-name signings in the future will be few and far between.

While Hooper senior played lock, Max is a game-controlling fly-half who kicks with his left foot. And younger brother Alfie, a 9/10, is apparently another one to watch, according to well-informed sources.

Scrum-half Isaac Mears, the son of former Bath and England hooker Lee Mears, has already come through the U18 pathway and is now at Bath University on a rugby scholarship.

He could partner one of the Hoopers at half-back, while Max Ojomoh and Joey Banahan, the son of ex-Bath and England wing Matt, could make for a very interesting midfield. St Gregory’s pupil Joey has a similar nose for the try-line just like his dad, and is a very elegant runner of the ball.

In the back three, you could have Tom de Glanville, by then a veteran, possibly linking up with two other names synonymous with Bath Rugby, Ellis Catt, a centre/full-back like his Dad, RWC 2003 World Cup winner Mike, and Archie Perry.

If he makes it into the first team, Perry, a wing/full-back, would be the fourth generation of his family to pull on the Blue, Black and White, following in the footsteps of his great-grandad Idris, grandfather Brendan and dad Matt.

And even then the options are not exhausted, as back-rower Ethan Moody, the son of another former Bath and England star, Lewis, could line up on the wing as a hybrid player in the mould of Henry Pollock.

Moody and Rob Hawkins’ lad, Jack, are also coming through the ranks of the junior Bath setup, but he’s a hooker like his old man, who spent seven years in the Blue, Black and White jersey and still lives in the area.

Possible Bath dynasty backline (9-15): Isaac Mears, Max Hooper, Archie Perry, Max Ojomoh, Joey Banahan, Tom de Glanville, Ellis Catt.