South Africa’s Johann van Graan is a treble winner with Bath
South Africa’s Johann van Graan is a treble winner with Bath. The Bath coach and former Bulls and Springboks assistant coach’s team, edged Springbok Handre Pollard’s Leicester 23-21 in the Gallagher Premiership final at the Allianz Stadium at Twickenham.
This was a match up of the league’s first placed team (Bath) against the second placed (Leicester) and less than a penalty three pointer separated them at the end.
Two-times Springboks World Cup winner Pollard, in his final match for Leinster, kicked three conversions, but it was another Springbok, prop Thomas du Toit, the scorer of a try in the final, who smiled biggest at Twickenham.
Van Graan, who has led the Bath revival, completed a treble this season in winning the EPCR Challenge Cup, the Premiership Cup and the biggest domestic title, the Premiership. It was Bath’s first Premiership title win in 27 years.
This is how BBC Sport described the win.
Bath held off resilient Leicester Tigers to win their first Premiership title in 29 years with a narrow 23-21 victory at Allianz Stadium Twickenham that also completed a 2024-25 treble.
The tense triumph crowns Bath as champions of England for the seventh time in their history but the first since 1996.
Bath captain Ben Spencer said he “couldn’t be prouder” of the team.
“What an effort – we had to dig deep, fair play to Leicester but I think we deserved it after the year we’ve had,” Spencer said.
Jack van Poortvliet gave Leicester an early lead but Thomas du Toit’s try and another from Max Ojomoh – created by Finn Russell’s show-stopping interception – pushed Bath 13 points ahead.
Solomone Kata pulled back a crucial try for the Tigers but when departing Leicester legend Dan Cole was sent to the sin-bin with 11 minutes to go, Russell slotted a second penalty.
Tigers still had something in the tank and Emeka Ilione’s score five minutes from time and Pollard’s conversion set up a grandstand finish but Bath held on.
Bath also become the first English team since opponents Leicester in 2001 to seal a treble, after winning the Premiership Rugby Cup and the European Challenge Cup earlier this season.
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