As the heat of the Investec Champions Cup intensifies, Bath's head coach Johann van Graan gears up his team for a fiery all-English quarter-final showdown with Northampton Saints this Friday night. The stage is set for a thrilling encounter between last season's Premiership titans and the former Champions Cup finalists, with only a whisker separating them in this season's league standings.
"We are looking very good. We came through Saturday with just a few bumps and bruises," remarked Van Graan in a recent statement to the Northampton Chronicle & Echo. The coach further praised their previous opponents, adding, "We have some sore bodies because that was some game, and respect to Saracens. We are in a great place as a squad."
"Northampton are a team we respect so much and have been involved in some big battles in the last few years,"
Van Graan expressed. He highlighted the stakes of the upcoming game, "And what’s at stake if you get through this is you play either the winners of last year’s Champions Cup in Bordeaux or the French champions Toulouse."
The significance of these moments isn't lost on the seasoned coach. "It is important to acknowledge and enjoy these moments because, certainly at this club, they haven’t happened for a long time," he noted. Van Graan also praised the Saints, "Northampton have some of the best players in the Premiership, they score some fantastic tries and they played in last season’s Champions Cup final in Cardiff against Bordeaux and this is their third quarter-final in a row in this competition."
"But all that matters is what happens at 8pm [9pm SA time] on Friday night. It is a knockout game, and it is going to be a great occasion."
The Bath squad is bolstered not just by a strong showing against Saracens last week, where they triumphed 31-22, but also by the return of key players from injuries, including South African loose forward Jaco Coetzee, who has made a comeback from an ACL injury. Bath's readiness and resilience seem to set the stage for what could be one of the season's most memorable clashes.
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As the heat of the Investec Champions Cup intensifies, Bath's head coach Johann van Graan gears up his team for a fiery all-English quarter-final showdown with Northampton Saints this Friday night. The stage is set for a thrilling encounter between last season's Premiership titans and the former Champions Cup finalists, with only a whisker separating them in this season's league standings.
"We are looking very good. We came through Saturday with just a few bumps and bruises," remarked Van Graan in a recent statement to the Northampton Chronicle & Echo. The coach further praised their previous opponents, adding, "We have some sore bodies because that was some game, and respect to Saracens. We are in a great place as a squad."
"Northampton are a team we respect so much and have been involved in some big battles in the last few years,"
Van Graan expressed. He highlighted the stakes of the upcoming game, "And what’s at stake if you get through this is you play either the winners of last year’s Champions Cup in Bordeaux or the French champions Toulouse."The significance of these moments isn't lost on the seasoned coach. "It is important to acknowledge and enjoy these moments because, certainly at this club, they haven’t happened for a long time," he noted. Van Graan also praised the Saints, "Northampton have some of the best players in the Premiership, they score some fantastic tries and they played in last season’s Champions Cup final in Cardiff against Bordeaux and this is their third quarter-final in a row in this competition."
"But all that matters is what happens at 8pm [9pm SA time] on Friday night. It is a knockout game, and it is going to be a great occasion."
The Bath squad is bolstered not just by a strong showing against Saracens last week, where they triumphed 31-22, but also by the return of key players from injuries, including South African loose forward Jaco Coetzee, who has made a comeback from an ACL injury. Bath's readiness and resilience seem to set the stage for what could be one of the season's most memorable clashes.