How Bath turned 'hope into belief' to reach final

In 1 of Johann van Graan's meetings pinch Bath's players aft taking complete astatine nan club, he put a photograph of Twickenham Stadium up during a presentation.

"I retrieve him saying this is simply a train travel and group will get connected and will get disconnected but this train is going successful 1 direction," Bath hooker Tom Dunn told BBC Sport.

"He put a image of Twickenham up and said 'this is wherever we're going to go. I don't cognize erstwhile we want to beryllium there, I don't cognize if it will beryllium this year, adjacent twelvemonth aliases when, but it's wherever we're going to finish'."

Bath had vanished bottommost of nan Premiership array erstwhile nan South African came successful arsenic caput of rugby. Two years on, almost to nan day, they are heading to Twickenham to return connected Northampton Saints successful nan last and conflict for their first convention trophy since 1996.

Eighteen months into his tenure and Van Graan said "everything had changed" astatine Bath.

New coaching and backroom unit had been brought in, caller systems implemented, caller strategies and training methods and precocious floor plan players specified arsenic Finn Russell, Ollie Lawrence and Thomas du Toit person been added connected nan way.

But 19 of nan 43 elder players astatine Bath this play were location during nan debased of nan 2021-22 campaign, Dunn included.

"We had each nan pieces to nan puzzle disposable to us. We had nan players, we had nan facilities, we had nan fanbase. We conscionable weren't clicking, we conscionable weren't putting it successful nan correct order," Dunn said.

"It's astonishing wherever dream turns into belief and I deliberation that's astir apt nan point that's changed nan quickest for us."

Instead, nan 44-year-old began organically fostering a civilization that saw everyone moving successful nan aforesaid direction, towards nan aforesaid goal.

"Every different DOR [director of rugby] I've worked nether has had a good strategy and that tin beryllium things from being precocious to meetings, wearing nan incorrect kit, parking nan car successful nan incorrect space. Johann doesn't person immoderate of that," Dunn said.

"He believes you dainty group for illustration you want to beryllium treated yourself and pinch that I judge comes honesty, and pinch that comes trust.

"If there's 72 of you doing things 1 measurement and there's caller players aliases personification young comes into nan squad and they do things differently, nary 1 needs to show them they're doing it wrong, nary 1 needs to good them. It sticks retired you person to do things nan measurement we do things."

Prop Du Toit agrees that Van Graan's man-management skills person had a large impact.

"The important point is nan measurement that he treats people, nan measurement that he treats staff, players, everyone astir is simply a existent facet of respect that he gives to everyone here," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"A batch of group respond very good to that measurement of handling and I deliberation he's a bully boss, he's a bully personification to talk to and he's really sewage your feelings astatine heart, your interests astatine heart."

Lock Charlie Ewels has been pinch Bath since he was 19 and for illustration Dunn was astatine nan nine nan past clip they reached nan Premiership last successful 2014-15.

He said that while Van Graan is clear successful really he wants nan squad to play, he does not micro-manage aliases over-coach.

“After that he puts nan spot successful nan players and his adjunct coaches to find nan answers to those principles," Ewels told BBC Sport.

"He's gone and sewage nan champion retired of nan group that were here. I’ve played successful immoderate unbelievably talented Bath teams pinch immoderate superb players and we haven’t astir apt sewage nan results that nan squad deserved."

Ewels besides pointed to a spot and extent successful nan squad now that did not beryllium before. During this year's Six Nations Bath saw nan astir players called up to nan world teams.

"He’s besides installed a level of title successful nan squad which I deliberation is important and I deliberation I haven't’ seen since we were past successful nan last successful 2014-15," Ewels said.

"I look astatine nan squad that trains against nan squad sometimes and deliberation wow. If you person an disconnected time aliases week nan adjacent feline is in.”

Bath person won nan convention title six times during nan 1980s and 1990s and besides person a European Cup successful their trophy furniture from that era.

A return to Twickenham this play has not yet reached nan nine to those aforesaid highs but it has put them backmost connected nan correct track.

"The lows make nan highs higher, they make it each nan sweeter," Ewels said.

"There’s been a load of activity down nan scenes and a load of activity connected nan training pitches and those are nan things that person sewage america to this position and I’m conscionable really proud of that."