Bath 'not under pressure' to win trophy - Van Graan

This season marks Johann van Graan's third campaign since taking over at Bath

Bath are not letting pressure to win a trophy affect them as they go into the new Premiership campaign, says head of rugby Johann van Graan.

The club finished runners-up to Northampton in last season's final at Twickenham in a rollercoaster match that saw them come from behind with 14 men to almost clinch victory in the final play of the game.

The club have not won a league trophy since 1996 and begin the new season with a reunion against Saints at the Recreation Ground on Friday.

"Obviously we want to win a trophy. We've never said that we don't want to. But we are not in the [business of] predicting when this will happen," Van Graan told BBC Radio Somerset.

"Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later and us as a group have tasted it - we were literally one play away from winning it and there's no guarantee you'll get back there again."

The 2024-25 campaign is Van Graan's third at the helm with the club progressing rapidly since he took over.

Most of the squad from last season has been retained and the South African hopes the continuity across the staff and playing squad continues the upward trajectory this season.

Lock Ross Molony and back row Guy Pepper are among just four new arrivals.

"In terms of pressure, Bath haven't won a trophy for a very long time. The only pressure we have is the pressure that we have internally - we want to be part of something special," added Van Graan.

"But what sport teaches you is if you win a game it doesn't mean that you're successful, and if you lose a game it doesn't mean you're unsuccessful."

Ben Spencer, who retains the captaincy this season, said there was a "huge sense of pride" taken from reaching last season's final, even more so after finishing bottom of the table in 2021-22.

But the club do not want to settle for simply reaching the league's showpiece match, the scrum-half insisted.

"To get to the final was great and it was a special day but I think we're definitely looking to go one step further this year," Spencer said.

"You always set out at the start of the season wanting to win silverware."

Bath finished second in the table at the end of the regular season, level on points with Saints.

Just six points separated the top five clubs and Spencer expects it will be another close contest this time around.

"The one thing that came across strongly last year is it's a long season, every point matters," he added.

"I think there was only one game where we didn't come away with any points at all.

"The old cliche of staying one week at a time and looking at one game at a time will be really important for us this year."