NICK CAIN
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JOHANN van Graan is the latest coach expected to plug the gaping hole in Bath’s broken tub, by pulling off a rescue act which saves this once great club from the scrapheap and restores it to its former glory.
So, how does van Graan measure up as a master craftsman? Judging by his track record, the 41- year-old South African is a good coach, but not yet a great one – although if he manages to salvage a Bath side which has started the season with 11 successive defeats he will be well on his way into the firmament.
Van Graan learned his trade at the Bulls in Pretoria, helping the province to win three Super 14 titles as an analyst, and then as forwards/attack coach between 2007 and 2010. He then made the big step-up to the Springbok coaching team in 2012 under Heyneke Meyer, his main mentor at the Bulls. By that time he had earned a reputation for forensic analysis, and was soon appointed forwards coach, helping South Africa to a third-place finish at the 2015 World Cup.
He joined Munster as head coach in 2017 having left his Springbok post to replace outgoing fellow South African, Rassie Erasmus, at Thomond Park. Over the past five years he has taken Munster to two European Cup semi-finals, as well as a PRO14 final and three semi-finals (all ending in losses to Leinster), while achieving an 80 per cent winning ratio.
In other words, he has done everything but win silverware – and in Bath’s current parlous state the club’s owner, Bruce Craig, and his henchmen, would kill for a record like that over a similar period.
Instead, since Craig bought Bath off Andrew Brownsword in 2010, there’s been a steady decline. Apart from a brief resurgence when Bath lost the 2015 Premiership final to Saracens, the slump has continued unabated, culminating in this season’s crash – with the steering wheel in the hands of director of rugby Stuart Hooper, and head coach Neal Hatley.
This has happened despite multimillionaire Craig splashing the cash on a host of star name players and coaches over the past decade. Even now, despite the strictures of Covid-induced salary cap shrinkage, Bath have 15 current or former internationals on their books, and Craig is still trying to spend his way out of trouble, with Van Graan his latest purchase.
Van Graan has no doubt taken into account the long list of predecessors that Craig has engaged, because he has just become the seventh coach in 11 seasons to park himself in the Bath ejector seat.
The other incumbents include: Steve Meehan (head coach 2010), Sir Ian McGeechan (DoR 2011-12), Gary Gold (DoR 2012-13), Mike Ford (head coach 2013-16), Todd Blackadder (DoR 2017-19), and Neal Hatley (head coach 2020-21).
“Blurred lines of responsibility appear to be a recurrent theme at Bath”
This lack of coaching continuity has been accompanied by persistent rumours of Craig’s interest in rugby – having captained his school 1st XV – extending into the director of rugby/head coach’s usual domain of having the main say on match day selection and new signings.
Blurred lines of responsibility appear to be a recurrent theme at Bath. One example is former lock Hooper, who was appointed director of rugby in 2019, having been part of the coaching team at the Recreation Ground since he retired from playing for Bath in 2016, sharing responsibilities with head coach Hatley.
When Hatley was promoted from defence coach to head coach by Hooper in 2020, having also been England scrum coach for the three years prior to the 2019 World Cup, he gave this ambiguous description of their respective roles to the club’s website.
“When I rejoined Bath, Stuart was very clear about what we are trying to do at the club. Now, as head coach, I’m responsible for field performance.
With my focus on delivering great performances on the pitch, it allows Stuart to focus on how we want to play and perform, making sure we are doing what we discussed in training, and optimising everything we do.”
The obvious point is how on earth does a head coach charged with ‘delivering great performances’ cede responsibility for how the team plays, performs, and trains, to a young director of rugby, like Hooper, with a very thin coaching track record?
The signs are that Hatley’s chance to win silverware with Bath may be over, given reports that he is going at the end of the season.
Van Graan will also be wanting to win silverware with Bath and he has already made the right noises about, “seeing huge potential in this club, the players, coaches, and staff ”.
However, he might want to be a little more circumspect on the staff front. In chief executive Tarquin McDonald’s welcome message to the South African he was quick to outline his “full responsibility for our game”, but mentioned nothing about how his role will dovetail with Hooper’s.
Here’s hoping Van Graan has insisted that he not only ‘holds full responsibility’ for Bath’s game, but also has full authority in selection, playing style, and training, as well as the main say in recruitment.
Otherwise, he will have one hand tied behind his back, and Bath could continue to head down the gurgler.
