Johann van Graan and Beno Obano are confident Bath can get the job done in Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final at defending champions Bordeaux Bègles.
Bath will arrive in Bordeaux with momentum and belief after a golden spell under Van Graan.
The Premiership outfit swept to a trophy treble last season, lifting the EPCR Challenge Cup, Premiership Cup and Premiership title, but the former Munster boss knows the Champions Cup remains the missing piece.
“This is the one competition that we, as a group, haven’t won,” he said.
“We’re coming up against the current champions in their backyard. That’s the opportunity you want.”
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Bath face a massive challenge against a Bordeaux side packed with attacking firepower, from Matthieu Jalibert to Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and Damian Penaud to Ben Tameifuna.
Prop Obano insists the English side will not be overawed by the occasion.
“The team we’re coming up against has more strengths than most and they’re a great team, but we think we’re a good team,” he explained.
“So, it’s about going out there and being the best version of ourselves.”
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Obano also credited Van Graan for transforming Bath into a side capable of thriving under pressure.
“In these big games, we’re just so calm,” he said. “Everything we need is in the team, so it’s empowering to play in those games and know that whatever happens, we’ll be calm.”
Van Graan believes that mentality has been built over time since his arrival in 2022.
Reflecting on Bath’s dramatic comeback win over Northampton Saints in the quarter-finals, the South African said the fightback was rooted in the culture the squad has developed over the past few seasons.
“It came from day one,” he said. “How do we want to play the game? How do we want to be and speak to each other? Two years ago we went from hope to belief.”
Photo: Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images
The post Bath ready to rumble in Bordeaux ‘backyard’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Johann van Graan and Beno Obano are confident Bath can get the job done in Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final at defending champions Bordeaux Bègles.
The post Bath ready to rumble in Bordeaux ‘backyard’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
