Even amid this most glorious of autumns, and before a ball has been placed on a kicking tee in European Rugby’s new Champions Cup, Bath’s thoughts are tumbling towards spring. As the club’s captain, Stuart Hooper, puts it: “May used to be a holiday for us. Now everything we do, and the coaches prepare us for, is to be in the business end of the season. We want to go far in Europe.”
Hooper’s words are built on firm foundations. Bath have made a striking impression in the opening weeks of the Premiership season, winning four of their five games despite facing mostly sides – Sale, Leicester, Northampton and Saracens – who are in the rebooted version of the old Heineken Cup. Yet Hooper is confident domestic form can carry over when Bath visit European rugby’s top table for the first time since 2011-12.
“The public only sees the weekend results,” he says. “But what I see every day is the players going to coaches and saying: ‘What can I do to get better,’ then staying after training to do individual extras. I have no doubt that will add up to a positive end of the season.”
Bath begin their campaign on Saturday at Glasgow Warriors, who have surprised a few in the Pro 12, before facing Toulouse – traditionally strong but struggling this season after five straight defeats – and Montpellier. It is a tricky but not impossible pool, according to their head coach, Mike Ford.
“If we have our best 15 people on the field we can go toe-to-toe with anyone in Europe, whether it’s a driving, scrummaging or a running game,” he said. “The key is to get our best team out there. So in training we’ll maybe have to look after our guys more than the French do because they’ve got more numbers. It’s going to be a tall order but it’s one we’re relishing.”
Ford also believes English sides will benefit from the Irish provinces being forced to focus on the Pro 12 competition or risk missing out on next year’s Champions Cup. “A few years ago when Leicester lost to Ulster, [Ulster’s director of rugby] David Humphreys said they spent two weeks preparing for that game,” he says. “But now the Pro 12 sides can’t relax during their league season and concentrate solely on Europe which makes it more of a level playing field.”
By happy coincidence Leicester and Ulster face each other again on the opening weekend of the Champions Cup, with the Tigers’ head coach, Richard Cockerill, hoping a change of scene will allow his side to put a fitful start to the domestic season behind them. “Everyone keeps telling me we were the Manchester United of rugby – and now we are,” he joked.
Cockerill expects Ulster to give his team another hard game at Welford Road. “They are a good side,” he said. “We’ve not managed to get past them on too many occasions. Last year we had a 10-point advantage and ended up losing by three points and that cost us a home quarter-final. They’ve had a bit of upheaval in the summer and have had the odd mixed result this season but who am I to say anything about that?”Cockerill played in the Leicester side of the early noughties who won two Heineken Cups on the bounce. And he admits it is conceivable that Toulon, who loom ominously in the Tigers’ group, can go one better.
“You wouldn’t question their hunger,” Cockerill said. “It did make me smile when Bernard Laporte said he didn’t have enough players, because they have got the strength of the squad and there’s every chance they can do it. That’s what money buys you.”
