Western Daily Press (Saturday)
What now for Bath after departure of Griffiths?
THE sudden departure of Bath Rugby chairman Ed Griffiths has seen months of rumours about a power struggle at the club burst to the surface like a volcano.
Former Saracens CEO Griffiths initially arrived at Bath in the autumn to carry out a root and branch review of the club amid their worst-ever start to a professional campaign. Seven months later, the needle towards improvement has barely moved.
In January, the abrasive and nononsense Griffiths replaced owner Bruce Craig as chairman and the real power struggle began with the ‘agent of chaos’ up against under-fire former captain-turned-director of rugby Stuart Hooper and Blue, Black & Whites CEO Tarquin McDonald.
To say there was a culture clash would be an understatement, with the club’s existing leadership group very corporate in both their language and approach.
BBC Radio Somerset commentator Andrew Sheridan labelled Craig, Hooper and McDonald ‘the golden triangle’ and Griffiths looks to have been at war with two of the trio, before a meeting with millionaire Craig recently proved to be the tipping point as it concluded with his departure from the club.
Griffiths’ approach at Bath has been one of micro-management, with a finger in every pie.
One of his first steps after arriving was to take team selection away from Hooper, handing the reins to head coach Neal Hatley despite it being announced at the same time that Hatley would be demoted back to forwards coach for the 2022/23 campaign when Munster boss
Johann van Graan arrives as the new head of rugby.
There were few noticeable changes in selection in any case, but Hooper was clearly being pushed to one side.
Hooper, who had been the face of Bath Rugby’s coaching department in press conferences since becoming director of rugby ahead of the 2019/20 season, stepped back from talking to the media, taking some midweek press conferences but rarely speaking after matches.
He was noticeably not quoted in press releases put out by the club about new signings or departures too, with Griffiths personally signing off everything before it went out.
A Telegraph report is indicative of the fact that Griffiths, a former player agent working for the company that represents new hooker signing Niall Annett, from Worcester, was increasingly involved in recruitment.
The Telegraph also reported that at the start of December, Hooper is believed to have informed England centre Jonathan Joseph that he would not be offered a new contract at the Rec, with his deal expiring at the end of the current campaign. A move to Sale was muted, but just last month it was confirmed that Joseph’s contract was being extended.
Griffiths is also understood to have sunk a deal Hooper had lined up for young Cornish Pirates lock Ben Scragg. Hooper told Somerset Live, the sister website of the Daily Press, that he was looking to add an up and coming second row and Scragg looks to have been that man.
He was initially offered a two-year contract, but upon arrival at Farleigh House to have a look around and meet the coaches he was informed the offer was now for one year. Scragg is now understood to be signing for London Irish.
According to reports, a further flashpoint in the relationship came ahead of Bath’s European Challenge Cup quarter-final loss to Edinburgh as Hooper and the current group of
coaches were initially left out of a team bonding trip to Marseille.
The coaches eventually did attend, but some were booked into different hotels to the rest of the squad.
A new position of general manager has been created for Hooper next season, with his focus switching away from the first team and now focusing on the player pathway and academy; as well as the development of competitive advantage in areas of data, psychology, nutrition, training and performance facilities.
He will report to new boss Van Graan and seemingly play no part in player recruitment.
In many ways, it is a return to 40-year-old Hooper’s first backroom role after being named Performance and Player Development Director at Bath in 2016 following his retirement from playing with a back injury.
Griffiths has also been the force behind trying to move Bath out of their Grade II listed Farleigh House training base and back into the city.
While the suggestion was met relatively warmly by former players and fans, owner Craig has ploughed huge amounts of money into the current training centre and has a 99-year lease on the site making any upheaval significantly costly.
Griffiths was keen to take the ailing club and players out of their comfort zone and it is understood some of the club’s suppliers were informed the move was happening.
Now with Griffiths’ departure after just six months in the job that looks more uncertain than ever, as does the club’s ability to turn results around on the field next season.
Van Graan, who has been involved in recruitment already, arrives to a squad that is weaker on paper than this season, losing the likes of 2021 Lions Anthony Watson and Taulupe Faletau, but perhaps better balanced in its makeup despite remaining question marks over the depth of cover in the fly-half position.
Van Graan, who arrives as head of rugby on July 1, certainly has his work cut out for him, especially with many of his key senior players likely to be away for the first half of preseason on international duty.
With the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership campaign due to kick off on September 9, it will be a race against time to install a winning culture and bring the individual talents together as one collective.