Max Ojomoh feels Bath will reap rewards of home-grown policy

Bath centre Max Ojomoh feels that Bath will reap the long-term rewards of having a squad made up 50% home-grown players.

Speaking to The Rugby Paper Podcast, Ojomoh said: “I’ve been told by a few boys that have moved clubs that it is never the same when you win at a different club to your first club.

“Your first club is always the one that when you win with them, nothing will ever beat it.

“I almost feel like its FIFA career mode. Nothing beats winning with this team.

“I want to stay here as long as we’re building towards something.

“If we aren’t building towards something then what would be the point in staying.

“I look around now and I think with the players coming through, that in the next five to eight years we should 100% be building towards play offs and winning stuff.”

Speaking before Saturday’s hammering at the hands of bitter rivals Gloucester, Ojomoh said that the clubs aim for the end of the season was to not finish bottom of the Gallagher Premiership.

Bath’s policy from next season is to try and have a policy of 50% home-grown players from next season – a shift in focus from the club’s hierarchy.

It’s thought that the move will benefit Bath in the long-term, as they look to build a squad capable of winning the title – something they have not achieved since 1996.

Having an understanding of the players around you is the aim of Bath’s shift in policy.

Playing against Leinster in this season’s Champions Cup showed Max what cohesion looks like.

“Playing against Leinster, it’s crazy. Those boys don’t even talk, they just know exactly what’s going to happen.

“In Bath’s case, it’s one the cohesion. But, two – you want to play hard for the place you’ve grown up in – in the place that your friends are playing.

“I go back to the Irish provinces, it’s really hard to sign boys out of Ireland as the main thing when growing up there is to play for your province. So, boys never actually leave. Even at the age of 22/23, they could be first choice at another club or third choice at Leinster, they stay as it means so much to play for that team.

“That’s what you get from bringing home-grown players through at English clubs.”

“For example, when we played Newcastle away from home it was Miles’ (Reid) first captaincy.

“We were down points and I got an assist. He’s (Miles) is my lifting partner and I said ‘Miles, I’m not letting you lose your first game as captain’. It’s something you can relate to, it’s something to play for.

“You’re not just playing for the club, you’re playing for your friends as well!”

The Rugby Paper Podcast is available to download or stream on Apple, Spotify, Google and Amazon.