Moment in Time: Elvis is the hero as Bath battle back to avoid drop

Ten years ago, Bath Rugby stood on the precipice. A hostile takeover bid from Bristol owner Malcolm Pearce had driven supporters of both clubs to a state of near apoplexy and, to compound matters, the two bitter West Country rivals were also locked in a desperate three-way battle to avoid relegation. London Irish, the other side under threat of a potentially crippling demotion, would visit the Rec on a never-to-be-forgotten April evening.
Put simply, Bath had to win. Defeat would have all but condemned them to the drop and, as forward David Barnes explains, a nightmare scenario would almost certainly have unfolded. The end of Bath as a professional outfit just five years after lifting the Heineken Cup in 1998 was unthinkable, but the fat lady, in all her finest regalia, was preparing to sing.
“The situation was dire,” Barnes recalls. “In the previous couple of years the club had lost stalwarts like Phil de Glanville, Jerry Guscott, Martin Haag and Ben Clarke, and although we had introduced a lot of good young players, they were relatively inexperienced. We were struggling to impose ourselves as a forward pack and the team was in a state of transition. It was Michael Foley’s first season as head coach and we’d got involved in the relegation scrap.
“On top of that, there was a lot of talk of us merging with Bristol and that added an extra dimension. A lot of players weren’t being offered new contracts because we didn’t know what was happening or where we’d be playing the following season. The club was in a real strange position and in the midst of all this we were expected to fight for our lives in a relegation battle.
“No one was allowed to talk about the merger at the time, but we all knew it was happening and it was a really unsettling time. We were aware that other players were being signed for the following season so a lot of players didn’t know where their futures lay. But we went into this match against London Irish knowing we had to win to have any chance of surviving.”
Bath were bottom of the table going into the game. It was do or die stuff and at half-time they led 10-6 courtesy of a Kevin Maggs try and five points from the boot of Olly Barkley. Barry Everitt had struck twice for the Irish and the ace marksman was at it again in the second half, his three penalties to Barkley’s one edging the Exiles ahead going into injury time. For once-mighty Bath, an ignominious end beckoned … but cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Samoan centre-cum-wing Elvis Seveali’i had been signed from Wellington a few weeks earlier. Little was known of the 24-year-old, who would depart again at the end of the season. But in a drama-fuelled denouement, Seveali’i produced a moment of Pacific island magic that thrust him into the annals of Bath history and ensured he will never buy a drink in that city again.
“We were down and out,” says Barnes. “There were no stop clocks in those days but when Everitt put Irish 15-13 ahead we knew the 40 minutes was up. We never knew what was left but, fortunately, we kicked off and London Irish knocked on. We had a scrum-down just across the 10-metre line, about 20 yards in from the right, and at that time we had Gareth Cooper at scrum-half who was lightning quick.
“Coops picked up from the scrum and shot off down the blindside before giving it to Elvis, who kicked ahead and chased. I looked up and thought, ‘Oh no, what’s he done kicking the ball away?’ But Elvis re-gathered before tripping the light fantastic in front of the main stand to score the winning try. Bedlam. Everyone was flying in. The crowd was going mad and from being out of the Premiership, suddenly we had a chance of staying up.”
Bath defeated Newcastle on the final day to confirm their survival, while London Irish recovered magnificently to beat Leicester and Bristol to stay up. Bristol took the plunge instead, the proposed merger was off and both proud clubs lived another day.
“Defeat would have changed everything,” Barnes says. “If we’d gone down, Bath would have been a very different place. I’m not sure where Elvis Seveali’i is right now, but we certainly owe him one because Bath might not be in existence at all but for him.”
Where are they now: The Class of 2003
1. David Barnes: Stalwart prop remained at Bath before being forced to retire in 2011 due to a neck injury. Now rugby director for the Rugby Players Association.
2. Jonathan Humphreys: Remained at Bath until 2005, then become forwards coach at the Ospreys. Recently appointed forwards coach with Scotland.
3. John Mallett: Retired that summer and has been a houseparent and director of rugby at Millfield School since 2004.
4. Steve Borthwick: Still going strong as Saracens captain after leaving Bath in 2008.
5. Danny Grewcock: Remained with Bath before retiring in 2011. Now runs the club’s academy.
6. Gavin Thomas: Joined Ospreys that summer, then played for Scarlets and Newport before retiring in 2012. Now a personal trainer at the K2 gym in Bridgend.
7. Andy Beattie: Remained with Bath before retiring through injury in 2012. Now works for finance firm Chase de Vere.
8. Nathan Thomas: Joined Celtic Warriors that summer before spells at Leeds, Scarlets and Neath. Now turns out for Hartpury College, where he is a lecturer.
9. Gareth Cooper: Joined Celtic Warriors that summer before spells at Newport, Gloucester and Cardiff. Packed up in 2010 and now runs the K2 gym in Bridgend.
10. Mike Catt: Joined London Irish in 2004, before retiring in 2010 and joining the coaching staff. Left to become skills coach of England in 2012.
11. Olly Barkley: Joined Gloucester in 2008 but returned to the Rec a year later. Left again in 2012 to join Racing Metro and moved on this summer to Grenoble.
12. Mike Tindall: Joined Gloucester in 2005, where he is now player-coach.
13. Kevin Maggs: Joined Ulster in 2004 before enjoying spells at Bristol, Rotherham and Moseley, where he is now forging a career as director of rugby.
14. Simon Danielli: Joined Borders in 2004, then spent five season at Ulster before retiring in 2012. Now a director at Ballyculter Trading Ltd in Belfast.
15. Matt Perry: Persistent back trouble forced him to retire in 2007 and he now works at finance firm Monitise.
Replacements
Lee Mears (for Humphreys): Bath stalwart who was forced to retire last February. A keen entrepreneur, he now runs two Jika Jika coffee shops in Bath.
Alessio Galasso (for Mallett): Joined Castres that summer and went on to play for Agen, Toulon and US La Seyne. Last heard of coaching the juniors of RC Brignolais.
Elvis Seveali’i (for Tindall): Joined Ospreys that summer before enjoying spells at Sale, London Irish, Bourgoin and Rovigo, where he played last season.
Spencer Davey (for Catt): Joined Glasgow in 2005 before a stint at Newcastle. Now retired, he runs Storm Fitness in Newcastle.
Gareth Delve (for Thomas): Joined Glouc-ester in 2007, before heading to Australia to captain the newly formed Melbourne Rebels. Currently mulling over next move.