A Gold-en future on the horizon for Bath Rugby
A Gold-en future on the horizon for Bath Rugby
During the month of May a West Country revolution has been taking place. Gone is Sir Ian McGeechan from the Rec as director of rugby, in his place Gary Gold.
Gold replaces McGeechan after just one season in charge following a disappointing campaign which saw Bath finish the season eighth and exit the Heineken Cup at the group stage. The South African has one clear ambition, in his own words: "to put Bath rugby back on the map . The 44 year-old has experience in abundance, which will no doubt ease the fears of the partisan crowd that make their pilgrimage to the Recreation ground every season, of not only Premiership rugby but the workings of an international set-up also.
A three season stint at London-Irish during the mid-2000s preceded a stint with Super Rugby franchise Western Province before then taking up the role of forward's coach as part of Peter de Villiers' South Africa regime. Gold's return to the Premiership in January saw him take up the role of Newcastle Falcons director of rugby, replacing Alan Tait.
Despite failing to lift the Kingston Park outfit from the foot of the table Gold did however impress many, whittling the nine-point deficit between themselves and London Wasps to just one. Gold brings with him to the Rec a completely new-look backroom staff with Toby Booth and Neal Hatley both as forwards coaches, Mike Ford defence and Brad Davis skills/attack. Rumblings of a move for Booth to Bath began when it was announced that Brian Smith was to return as London Irish director of rugby. Although Booth, who had spent a decade with the Sunbury based Exiles - four years as head coach, initially expressed his pleasure at the appointment of Smith, his old boss, it never quite washed with many. Soon came the inevitable reshuffling of the coaching staff from the Australian along with the departure of many senior players and with this, and the vacancy at Bath, Booth's departure looked inevitable.
The new quartet at Bath is therefore made up of three former London Irish coaches with academy coach Neal Hatley following Booth. Like Gold, Hatley cut his teeth in South Africa where he played for Natal and Western Province as well as South Africa Students. Hatley returned to these shores, having been born in Lancashire, to play at Bedford before finishing his career at London Irish achieving honours with the England second string.
Upon retirement after a decade in the Exiles front row the prop forward made the seamless transition into the club's backroom staff acting as head of the Academy programme at Sunbury.A lone survivor from the previous regime, former rugby league player Brad Davis remains as part of Gold's coaching staff with him Gold brings Mike Ford, who acted as his defence coach during their short time together at Newcastle. It was not long before Ford found another role within elite rugby union having stood down from as England defence coach in December after five-and-a-half years within both Brian Ashton and then Martin Johnson's England set-up. Ford's departure came following England's ill-fated World Cup campaign in New Zealand, attracting criticism himself as part of the RFU's inquiry in the wake of the tournament.
It is without doubt that each member of the new Bath coaching staff boasts a stellar coaching CV, Toby Booth hailed by many one of the country's most innovative coaches. A problem arises however in the balance of this new back-room outfit. Gary Gold, Toby Booth and Neil Hatley will no doubt improve a much under-performing pack, Gold having solidified the Newcastle eight during his time there and Booth and Hatley putting together one of is not the most productive line out units at Irish. The issue surfaces when it comes to the backs, with both Brad Davis and Mike Ford primarily defence coaches it is hard to see how an improvement will be seen when it comes to Bath's try-scoring capabilities, their biggest problem in the last campaign. It would appear that, unless Gold brings in somebody with that specialised skill-set that responsibility will be left to Davis.
It is fair to say though that much of Toby Booth's success at London Irish was built upon the utilisation of Mike Catt as both a player and coach, and a return to the Rec as attack coach would no doubt be heralded by the Bath faithful. Unfortunately for Gary Gold England coach Stuart Lancaster has stepped in to spoil the possibility of this plan having recruited the former centre to his own staff for the tour of South Africa. This said however Catt's position will be reviewed at the end of the tour, which ends with the third of three tests against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 23 June, meaning that the possibility of a return to the West Country for the World Cup winner remains a possibility.
It might not be long therefore before Gold's problem may be be solved but one cannot help but think the opportunity to work with a young and constantly improving England side may just be too much of an obstacle in the new Bath director of rugby's attempts to try and coax Catt back to the Recreation ground.
Either way the future looks bright for Bath rugby and under Gold look sure to become a super power of English and European rugby once again.
