In a scintillating return to form, Ollie Lawrence spearheaded Bath's emphatic 40-15 thrashing of Bristol Bears, earning high praise from Bath's head of rugby, Johann van Graan. Following a disheartening defeat to Leicester Tigers, Bath's faithful were itching for a turnaround, and Lawrence, fresh from an Achilles injury recovery, did not disappoint.
The match started on a shaky note for Bath, as Bristol initially took a 15-5 lead. However, the tables turned dramatically towards the end of the first half, with Lawrence crossing the whitewash after latching onto a deft chip from Finn Russell. This pivotal moment swung momentum back in Bath's favor, and they never looked back, piling on 21 unanswered points in the second half.
Van Graan's enthusiasm for Lawrence's performance was palpable.
"His effort and commitment to get back is great to see. He had some big moments today and it’s the small detail in helping the forwards in close-quarter combat that was good,"
he remarked. With Lawrence set to don the England jersey again for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series, his return to peak form could not have been timelier.
Despite the challenges posed by a truncated training session due to early departures for the England camp, Van Graan highlighted the resilience of his team.
"We trained together for 25 minutes on Thursday. That’s not ideal but it’s the same for all sides and I want as many of our guys as possible to play international rugby. We stuck to the way we wanted to play. It’s never going to be perfect but, look, we scored 40 points,"
he explained.
The dynamic centre's performance was a bright spot in what has been a challenging season for Bath, and his readiness to jump back into international play is a testament to his grit and determination. As Bath continues to navigate the Premiership season, Lawrence's role as both a player and an inspiration to his teammates will undoubtedly be pivotal in their campaign.
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In a scintillating return to form, Ollie Lawrence spearheaded Bath's emphatic 40-15 thrashing of Bristol Bears, earning high praise from Bath's head of rugby, Johann van Graan. Following a disheartening defeat to Leicester Tigers, Bath's faithful were itching for a turnaround, and Lawrence, fresh from an Achilles injury recovery, did not disappoint.
The match started on a shaky note for Bath, as Bristol initially took a 15-5 lead. However, the tables turned dramatically towards the end of the first half, with Lawrence crossing the whitewash after latching onto a deft chip from Finn Russell. This pivotal moment swung momentum back in Bath's favor, and they never looked back, piling on 21 unanswered points in the second half.
Van Graan's enthusiasm for Lawrence's performance was palpable.
"His effort and commitment to get back is great to see. He had some big moments today and it’s the small detail in helping the forwards in close-quarter combat that was good,"
he remarked. With Lawrence set to don the England jersey again for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series, his return to peak form could not have been timelier.Despite the challenges posed by a truncated training session due to early departures for the England camp, Van Graan highlighted the resilience of his team.
"We trained together for 25 minutes on Thursday. That’s not ideal but it’s the same for all sides and I want as many of our guys as possible to play international rugby. We stuck to the way we wanted to play. It’s never going to be perfect but, look, we scored 40 points,"
he explained.The dynamic centre's performance was a bright spot in what has been a challenging season for Bath, and his readiness to jump back into international play is a testament to his grit and determination. As Bath continues to navigate the Premiership season, Lawrence's role as both a player and an inspiration to his teammates will undoubtedly be pivotal in their campaign.