‘Element of confidence’ for Bristol as Bears look to harness recent record to reach Premiership final
Fitz Harding will lead his Bristol side out at the Rec on Friday night
©Bristol Bears
Under the Friday night lights of the Rec, the first spot in this year’s Gallagher Premiership final will be decided as Bath take on Bristol Bears in a West Country derby with added jeopardy.
After narrowly losing last year’s final against Northampton, it’s a shot at redemption for Bath while for Bristol, it’s a first Premiership play-off fixture since the infamous ‘Bristanbull’ game against Harlequins four years ago.
Much of the narrative this season has been around how unstoppable Bath look. Their incredible strength in depth was once again on display against Saracens last Saturday as Johann van Graan selected an entirely new squad to the one that had beaten Lyon in the Challenge Cup final the week before.
With two trophies already in the cabinet - which of course includes the Premiership Rugby Cup - Bath are now targeting a treble, with the Premiership title the jewel in the crown.
However, out of the four defeats they suffered in the regular Premiership season, only one side managed to do the double over the table-toppers; Friday evening’s opponents, Bristol.
“It's funny,” Bears captain Fitz Harding tells TRU. “I think half the media have called us underdogs, the other half have called us favourites!
“I think the focus for us has just been on producing a performance that can beat Bath. I've got no doubt that it's within this group, but it's going to take something quite special.
“Play-off rugby is a little bit different. We're aware of that. We're not expecting Bath to perform the same way that they did in both the [Premiership] games we played against them already.
“There is an element of confidence, but we're fully aware that we're going to need something a little bit extra.”
Bath have undoubtedly been the form side this term, having secured a home play-off with three rounds of the regular season still to play. They head into this semi-final hot off the back of a European title, but Bristol have shown they can upset their rivals.
Four weeks ago, the Bears got the better of a second-string Bath side at the Principality Stadium but if you rewind the tape back to October, Pat Lam’s troops claimed a well-deserved 36-26 win at the Rec.
But for Harding and Bristol, the focus is on themselves and what is to come.
“The boys have done an unbelievable job [to reach the play-offs],” Harding says. “I'm just proud of them for the sacrifices they've made physically and the way we've dealt with setbacks throughout this year.
“Especially in the second part of the season, it's been a bit rocky at times but I've never questioned the fight from the lads and the desire to improve, and I think that's what's put us in this position.
“This squad and this game feel like a combination of a block of work that probably started around 18 months ago.
“We played Bath at Ashton Gate in around January last year [a 57-44 win for Bristol] when we sort of turned our season around, and I think the work that we've put in between then and now has been exceptional, and our game is in a great space.
“I'll be super excited to lead the boys out and just hope we get the job done.”
Of course, any play-off game always brings an extra level of intensity but Friday night seems elevated with it being a West Country derby.
Following last Saturday’s 52-26 win over Harlequins, which clinched Bristol’s semi-final spot, Lam immediately added spice to the occasion by listing a couple of statistics.
“We’ve played Bath 14 times since we’ve been back in the Premiership and won 11,” the Bears boss told the media. “We know how to beat them, but they’ve spent close to £3m more than we have on our squad.”
Lam continued the mind-games this week by taking aim at the price of tickets and the facilities at Bath, warning his wife not to attend Friday’s semi-final if she wants to avoid getting ‘drenched’ in the Rec’s uncovered seats.
But putting the needle in the press to one side, motivation on the pitch is easy to find.
“We always lean quite heavily on our Bristolian lads in weeks like this, the boys who have grown up around this derby and know what it means to the community around us in the city,” Harding explains.
“Lads have shared personal stories a lot this week about what this game means to them. I'm not Bristolian myself, but every time I play Bath, it is a special occasion and we've always got that little bit extra in terms of our emotional energy.”
Not only will it be a special occasion for Harding to play in another West Country derby, but in his second season as captain, the 26-year-old will lead his side out for their first ever Premiership play-off against Bath.
“It's a massive privilege to be able to lead the club, and to have the squad and the leaders I have around me makes my job pretty easy,” Harding adds.
“Every year is a little bit different in terms of the captaincy. I think the challenges that I face this year won't be the ones I face next year. I'd like to think that I'm improving in the way I handle life as a captain, and I've really enjoyed it as well.”
Whilst leading his club this weekend will be a massive honour for Harding, on a personal note, he is also targeting international honours as England prepare for their tour to Argentina and the USA this summer.
The Bears skipper can provide a versatile option for Steve Borthwick and with the likes of Ben Earl and Tom Curry on British and Irish Lions duty, there might be an opening for Harding, who wasn’t originally named in England’s training squad earlier this month.
“No bones about it, I'd love to play for England, it's my dream,” he says. “It sits up there with winning the Premiership in terms of why I play this game and the goals that I have, but there's so much I can't control within that.
“Of course, it’s something I’ve got my mind on. It doesn't have my complete focus, but it's in the background. For me, my focus is playing well for Bristol. Hopefully that will take us towards the Premiership.”
And that next step towards a first English title comes on Friday, which will undoubtedly be a career high for Harding.
His journey to this point has been well-documented, with the ex-Durham University player one of the flagbearers for the growth of BUCS Super Rugby.
Harding came through the ranks in the North-East when Durham were at the peak of their powers and the former England Students representative explained: “It's different for every player in terms of your journey to professional rugby.
“For me, BUCS was the only way I was going to make it. I think immediately when I came out of school, I wasn't physically ready to compete in the Premiership, so to have those three extra years to develop - not only on the pitch but also physically - was key.
“I'm super grateful for BUCS. I think everyone always talks about it like it's a sob story and that I had to work really hard for it, but I had some of the best years of my life at university and I absolutely loved it!
“I made friends for life there, and I think I was super lucky to then get the opportunity to come and play professional rugby, and I wouldn't change it any other way.”
Harding is a clear example of how successful the BUCS Super Rugby pathway has been, and Bristol have yet again turned to the university game. Two of their most recent signings, dynamic Cardiff Met full-back Josh Carrington and powerhouse Nottingham University second-row Will Ramply, will be joining them ahead of next season.
Carrington and Ramply were two standouts in BUCS this year, with the latter recently representing England Students in France.
“They're top lads [Carrington and Ramply],” Harding says. “I've met them a couple of times. Max Pepper is coming as well. Obviously, he'd been playing for Durham, so it'll be great to have those guys involved.
“I think you've seen over the last sort of few years, given the smaller squad sizes, a few of the younger guys getting opportunities, and hopefully we'll see them running out in the Premiership in the not-too-distant future.”
But in terms of the immediate future, all attention for Bristol is on Friday night and whether they can reach their first-ever Premiership final.
