Bath were declared as a ‘broken club’ just a couple of seasons ago – but now thanks to Bok beasts, quad bikes and karaoke they are dreaming of glory, writes CHRIS FOY

Bath fans have turned out for matches armed with flags bearing the club’s colors and the ‘In JVG we trust’ logo, in tribute to the South African who they believe can deliver them the first major trophy of the 21st century.

The initials stand for Johann van Graan and his West Country team represents upward mobility. They are in Northampton on Sunday for a repeat of last season’s Premiership Final, which ended in an embarrassing four-point defeat, but that result has not derailed the grand project. Far from it. Bath responded by beating champions Saints 38-16 on the opening weekend of the current season and they have won eight of their nine league games so far, putting them top of the table.

Last weekend they subjected the mighty Saracens to a record-breaking 68-10 ordeal at The Rec; a far cry from the corresponding match in October 2021, which the London club won 71-17. That season of horrors also saw Bath dismantled 64-0 by Gloucester at Kingsholm to finish bottom of the 13-team pile. If this had not been abolished, they would have been sentenced to relegation.

Van Graan inherited a huge mess and has since declared ‘we were broken as a club’. But he has cleared up the mess and overseen the kind of transformation that was beyond Sir Ian McGeechan and Todd Blackadder during their time in office. So what happened to put Bath on track for their first Premiership title since 1996 and their first major win since winning the old Heineken Cup for the only time in 1998?

There is no doubt that significant investment has been a powerful force. As rivals have slashed their playing budgets to cope with a period of financial turmoil, Bath owner Bruce Craig has approved a major recruitment drive. Scottish playmaker-magician Finn Russell has been signed from Racing 92 as a key signing in a deal reportedly worth almost £1million per year.

As well as this statement, Bath have also been astute in acquiring excellent English talent from clubs that went bankrupt, with Ollie Lawrence and Ted Hill both coming from Worcester and Alfie Barbeary from Wasps. Guy Pepper was lured from struggling Newcastle last summer to further expand the stock of formidable backrowers at Van Graan’s disposal. Opponents are wondering how they can stay within the salary cap limits, but it is believed Bath are delaying some contracts as an accounting tactic.

Russell has been extremely influential, working with Ben Spencer, the former Saracens scrum-half who was made captain by Van Graan and has taken on the job, as a winner with the medals to prove it. Crucially, the creative combination has blossomed under the leadership of Lee Blackett, who was brought in by the Scarlets as a visionary attacking guru after previously guiding Wasps to a Premiership final.

“The year before I came – and before Finn came – the club was in a massive rebuilding process,” Blackett said. “The year before Johann came here, they were literally playing from everywhere. I remember coaching against Bath and it was very much, “Kick it long and let Bath kill themselves”.

‘Johann quickly changed that. He placed enormous emphasis on defense and building a solid base. It went from one extreme, where Bath always played outside their own line, to the other extreme, where they kicked a lot and played a lot of territory. Players and coaches needed to come in to move the club forward, and that’s what Johann and I talked about; more focus on the attack.’

On Russell’s impact, he added: ‘The most important thing is that he is a calming factor. He understands that guys will make mistakes, but we have a ‘next job’ mentality. He is a great example of that. He can make a mistake and the next moment he comes up with a piece of genius.

‘There is such a good bond between him and Ben, who is world class when it comes to his kicking game and game management, like the pragmatist that he is. That suits an X-factor player like Finn Russell well. I think everyone was surprised at how well they gelled right away.”

According to Blackett, Van Graan showed a ‘growth mindset’ by deciding to leverage his expertise rather than viewing someone who had been head coach of a successful Premiership team as a potential threat to his authority. “Anyone who isn’t like that, I notice they’re worried about their jobs,” he added. So did the decision to reintegrate Andy Robinson as a link to a glorious past.

After losing the last final so narrowly, Blackett was concerned that Bath would become the last runners-up to compete at the start of the next campaign, but instead they earned a measure of revenge against Northampton and have not since looked back. One defeat at home against neighboring Bristol was the only downside.

Club stalwart Tom Dunn explained the moral change under Van Graan. After turning up singing for a chat with Mail Sport – and jokingly saying he was ready to ‘talk about signing Henry Arundell’ – the England hooker reflected on how times have changed since the historic lows of a pair years ago.

“It’s chalk and cheese,” he said. ‘Faith is probably the biggest difference between now and then. We still believed in what we were doing at the time, but of course in the back of your mind there is the thought: “We just lost on that side at 60.” It’s easy to say, but hard to act on. It’s so much easier when you win!’

Dunn praised the ‘open door’, honest culture that Van Graan fostered. Bonds have been forged in a renewed team through small, everyday gestures and fun. ‘Culture is built on small things; that no one really sees or talks about, like giving someone a ride to a workout,” he said. ‘Between training sessions, everyone sits together in the same room drinking coffee.

‘We win and lose together. For example, after Newcastle it was a late kick-off and there was no flight back that evening, so we flew back the next morning. It wasn’t a forced drink, but we ended up in the same karaoke bar and sang together. I’ll never forget Niall Annett’s first one; Belter. It was incredible!’

Every team needs its fair share of characters. Dunn is certainly one of those people, and he’s not alone.

“Alfie Barbeary is always beneficial,” he added. “He has too many (party pieces) to mention. He is like an onion; it has a lot of layers and you have to break down the layers to really get to know the man in there!’

Bath’s revival is based on a powerful core of British and South African power, skills and expertise. Springbok star Thomas du Toit contributed hugely to the scrunch and leadership force in the side when he joined from the Sharks last year, before finishing the 2023/24 season as top scorer. He and his family were attracted by the tempting prospect of success on the field and the attractive surroundings, and they have established themselves well.

“I want to be in a team that wins,” he told Mail Sport, adding: “Obviously Bath is an incredibly beautiful city and that certainly makes a difference. We visited Bath once or twice before making the decision and we love it now.

‘It helps that there are a few South Africans here, but I wanted to immerse myself in the culture and I like it very much. All the Brits here are fantastic people. One of my best friends is Tom Dunn. Every now and then we have Sunday roasts and braais together. He also likes biltong, which is good because I make my own biltong and he enjoys it.

‘Our children play together. I got him to buy a quad bike for his son, so his son and my son ride quad bikes around Farleigh every now and then. We make a fire together, we go fishing together, it’s a lot of fun. That testifies to the fact that we as a family are really happy in this place.’

The reference to the national training center is telling. Farleigh House is a place of stately grandeur, but Van Graan made it his mission to ensure that it was also suitable for sporting purposes.

“When I started at Bath there was a lot of fuss about the team not performing because we train at Farleigh and because it is so beautiful,” the head coach said. “But you don’t judge someone by their outward appearance, you judge someone by their inside; their heart. The same went for Farleigh.

‘We have changed our meeting rooms. We have changed the layout of our gym. We changed the locker room. We have truly made it our home and created a natural flow at Farleigh. It was never designed as a rugby pitch, but Bruce (Craig) had a vision, so I embraced Farleigh and changed the inside of the walls.

‘We added something that the players asked for, to improve recovery; a sauna in the locker room. We have also changed the learning environment so that there is an auditorium that is visually different from other places I have been. I believe that all these changes have enabled us to get the best out of people and ensure that the environment allows them to flourish.’

There is no doubt that they are thriving, with positive results and connections, a next generation environment and talent. Vilikesa ‘Billy’ Sela is a prized prop who won the Junior World Cup with England and against Northampton another front-row prodigy, teenage hooker Kepu Tuipulotu, makes his competitive debut.

Given the prospects at Bath, it is no wonder that players are keen to stay. England center Ollie Lawrence is currently in talks over a new contract. Asked for an update, he said: ‘I’m enjoying Bath. I don’t see myself moving to another club at the moment.’

Sunday’s clash with the Saints will provide a telling indication of Bath’s willingness to go one step further than last season. But at this stage they look every bit like real champions-elect. No wonder the fans believe in ‘JVG’ and his team.