The decision by Bath owner Bruce Craig to break cover by jumping on the franchise bandwagon this week is no revelation, and his protectionist arguments for a closed shop as the ultimate fix for the debt-laden Premiership 10 are utterly unconvincing.
After 15 years of uphill skiing trying to assemble a winning Bath team – and spending hand over fist on high profile coaches and marquee players in pursuit of it – Craig finally has the big prize of a Premiership title in his sights.
He also clearly believes that Bath’s rise gives him more clout to call for an end to promotion-relegation at the t...
