Magical mystery tour ends with a flourish

WHEN you have not won a Premiership title for 29 years, it matters not a jot how you break the drought, and Bath won’t be remotely bothered that this was one of their least impressive and compelling performances of the season.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

A win, by hook or by crook, was the only thing that mattered and to these neutral eyes they just about deserved to scrape home against a die-hard but clunky Tigers who didn't reach the height themselves either but never stopped believing.

That's finals rugby for you. You can score spectacular tries for fun in the regular season and throw in basketball passes and magic sleight of hand moments from the music hall that deserve a drum roll and a bow but, when push comes to shove, when the silverware is on the line, it's normally the team with the most grunt and heart that prevails. And the team that makes the fewest mistakes.

Which is why, after completing a treble for the season, I would predict this is just the start of something really special and long-running for Bath. This was not by any means an Everest moment for this group; they can climb much higher.

Ben Spencer’s men can and will play so much better than this in future seasons - and they will need to if they are ever to challenge in the European Champions Cup and/or successfully defend their Premiership title. By the way, if I hear anybody calling it the Prem league next season, it’s 20 push-ups on the spot for the offender.

So hats off to Bath and patience and tenacity, they and their supporters have shown over the years. You deserve your day in the sun and night on the tiles. Do you ever.

It can’t be easy being Bath! The sense of legacy and heritage must be all-consuming and rather like Manchester United, Bath teams are not just expected to win, they must win in style and with a certain je ne sais quoi. Well this year they have ticked every box imaginable, including the most important one of all and that is to win ugly if necessary