Sleeping giants Bath back where 'we should be': Van Graan

Bath coach Johann van Graan believes the club are "exactly where we should be" heading into Saturday's English Premiership final against Northampton following a remarkable transformation under his leadership.

The South African arrived at Bath in July 2022 from Irish province Munster shortly after the one-time kings of English rugby had finished bottom of a then 13-team Premiership.

But the southwest club are now potentially just 80 minutes away from ending a 16-year wait for major honours at Twickenham.

The trophy drought has been tough for Bath fans who were used to watching a side full of star performers such as Stuart Barnes and Jeremy Guscott win six league titles in eight seasons from 1988/89. In 1998, they became the first English champions of Europe.

"We have focused on what we need to do -- becoming tough to beat, putting the pride into our jersey and then getting better," said Van Graan.

"Since we started in week one, the message has been to treat every week the exact same -- never too high, never too low -- and to start every week on zero and get better."

The 44-year-old added: "After 18 (Premiership) rounds, we said we would see where we are. That got us into a home semi-final, which we treated as a one-off game, and now we are in the final.

"So, you can never predict, but we are exactly where we should be, and all credit to the players and the staff that have worked incredibly hard to put us in this position."

Northampton, bidding to win a first Premiership title since 2014, will be favourites on Saturday after topping the regular-season table.

The club, who lost to Irish province Leinster in the semi-finals of this season's European Champions Cup, have an added incentive to win for skipper Courtney Lawes.

The former England captain will be playing his 283rd and final game for Saints before joining French side Brive.

"He has always been so confident in his ability, so down to earth, always authentic," said Saints boss Phil Dowson of 35-year-old flanker Lawes.

"He has been there and done that, and everything that has been written, everything that has been said about him, I would back it all up."

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