Bath 'not under pressure' to win trophy - Van Graan

Bath are not letting unit to triumph a trophy impact them arsenic they spell into nan caller Premiership campaign, says caput of rugby Johann van Graan.

Bath vanished runners-up to Northampton successful last season's last astatine Twickenham successful a rollercoaster lucifer that saw them travel from down pinch 14 men to almost clinch triumph successful nan last play of nan game.

The nine person not won a convention trophy since 1996 and statesman nan caller play pinch a reunion against Saints astatine nan Recreation Ground connected Friday.

"Obviously we want to triumph a trophy. We've ne'er said that we don't want to. But we are not successful nan [business of] predicting erstwhile this will happen," Van Graan told BBC Radio Somerset.

"Hopefully it happens sooner alternatively than later and america arsenic a group person tasted it - we were virtually 1 play distant from winning it and there's nary guarantee you'll get backmost location again."

The 2024-25 run is Van Graan's 3rd astatine nan helm pinch nan nine progressing quickly since he took over.

Most of nan squad from past play has been retained and nan South African hopes nan continuity crossed nan unit and playing squad continues nan upward trajectory this season.

Lock Ross Molony and backmost statement Guy Pepper are among conscionable 4 caller arrivals.

"In position of pressure, Bath haven't won a trophy for a very agelong time. The only unit we person is nan unit that we person internally - we want to beryllium portion of thing special," Van Graan said.

"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 nan captaincy this season, said location was a "huge consciousness of pride" taken from reaching past season's final, moreover much truthful aft finishing bottommost of nan array successful 2021-22.

But nan nine do not want to settee for simply reaching nan league's showpiece match, nan scrum-half insisted.

"To get to nan last was awesome and it was a typical time but I deliberation we're decidedly looking to spell 1 measurement further this year," Spencer said.

"You ever group retired astatine nan commencement of nan play wanting to triumph silverware."

Bath vanished 2nd successful nan array astatine nan extremity of nan regular season, level connected points pinch Saints.

Just six points separated nan apical 5 clubs and Spencer expects it will beryllium different adjacent title this clip around.

"The 1 point that came crossed powerfully past twelvemonth is it's a agelong season, each constituent matters," he added. "I deliberation location was only 1 crippled wherever we didn't travel distant pinch immoderate points astatine all.

"The aged cliche of staying 1 week astatine a clip and looking astatine 1 crippled astatine a clip will beryllium really important for america this year."