The match between Bath and Leicester brings back memories of a time when these clubs dominated English rugby. On Saturday, they will meet in the English Premiership final for the first time, rekindling rivalries formed in the 1980s.
Together with Gloucester, both Bath and Leicester have been part of the top division since it started in 1988. In the league’s early days, they were very successful, winning 12 out of the first 15 titles and nine cup championships.
However, since those peak years, other teams like Saracens, Wasps, Northampton, and Exeter have changed the landscape of rugby.
Leicester has remained competitive at the highest level, winning the league titles in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2022 to reach a total of 11 victories. Meanwhile, Bath’s last championship win was in 1996 when teams were ranked based on a simple league table without a final match.
That year also marked their last encounter at Twickenham where Bath won the Pilkington Cup final with a close score of 16-15 thanks to a last-minute penalty try that Leicester supporters still complain about after nearly three decades.
Up until this season, Bath’s domestic success ended with their league and cup double in 1996—though they did claim the European Cup two years later.
Since then, they’ve lost three Premiership finals including a thrilling match against Northampton last year. Now they are aiming for a treble in 2025 after already winning the Premiership Cup—a mostly developmental tournament—and the European Challenge Cup.
They finished strong and ahead at the top of the Premiership, and after a shaky start, they smoothly advanced past Bristol in the semifinals.
South African coach Johann van Graan has brought a sense of practicality that fans rarely saw at the Recreation Ground. While supporters hoped for exciting running rugby but had not seen many trophies, they have come to appreciate how their powerful pack, especially the Bomb Squad, overpowers opponents with impressive second-half performances.
The team has also been skillfully led by the halfback duo of a focused Ben Spencer and Finn Russell. Russell has toned down some of his more reckless plays to help his team move effectively around the field while also raising his goalkicking to an outstanding level.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work from the group,” said scrumhalf Spencer about Bath’s improvement since Van Graan joined two years ago.
“I believe one major thing Johann contributed was transforming hope into belief. This team now has confidence and believes we can win important matches. Saturday will be another significant game for us, and we all know we have each other’s support.”
Leicester has returned to a place they feel they should be after a tough time that left them in third-to-last position last season.
With Australian Michael Cheika at the helm, they have regained much of their confidence and finished strong, securing second place before narrowly defeating Sale in the semifinals.
“They really gave us a hard time when we played there a few weeks ago, and Bath is the only team we haven’t defeated this year, so we need to find a way to overcome that challenge,” Cheika mentioned regarding his team’s 43-15 league loss on May 17.
Regardless of the outcome, it will be an emotional day for scrumhalf Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole—England’s two players with the most caps—who are playing their final games after nearly 700 appearances for Leicester combined.
