Bath back row Sam Underhill was understandably overrun with emotion, after the blue, black and whites lost the 2024 Premiership Final to Northampton Saints last Saturday. However, the England flanker did not cast any blame towards the match officials for the silver medals, despite Beno Obano’s red card being at the forefront of the fixture.
Despite not bringing the Premiership trophy back to Bath for the first time since 1996, Underhill can appreciate the poetic ending to Courtney Lawes’ time with the Saints. 16 players have since left Franklin’s Gardens following the title triumph, with the likes of Lewis Ludlam signing for Toulon and Alex and Ethan Waller hanging up their boots for retirement. Underhill believes that Lawes is amongst the best back-rows he’s ever battled against, calling the soon to be Brive man ‘a legend of the game’.
“I’m very proud of everyone from Bath and the support was outstanding, so just want to say thank you for the support Congratulations to Saints. They’ve been consistently very good all year. I’d love to have won it, but to see guys like Courtney (Lawes) and Lewis (Ludlam) and guys that have done a lot for English rugby go out on a high is nice to see from the other side.
“I guess where we are as a club will depend on how we do from now? You want to have something tangible that’s more than just a good year or a good performance. You want to have something that’s based upon habits and based upon consistency, which is the sort of thing Johann’s (van Graan) tried to get across to us all season.
“Courtney, I’ve got to be nice in case I have to play against him again, but yeah, he’s world class! I can’t think of many better back-rowers I’ve played with, the guy’s got it all. So yeah, he’s a legend in the game.”
Underhill expressed his pride for his Bath teammates, despite having their season finish as Premiership Final runners-up. The match came down to the wire at Twickenham, and a last ditch roll of the dice from Bath could well have resulted in a victory for the Somerset side. However, Northampton Saints were able to hold strong in the final plays, for a 25-21 triumph.
“I’m very proud of the team- it’s a sort of overriding emotion.” Underhill said in the post match media sessions. “No complaints from us today. I think Christophe’s (Ridley) team did a brilliant job. It was one of the best refereed games I’ve seen or played in for a while. I don’t think there can be any like any gripes about that.
“We had an opportunity right end to win it. Sometimes you get there sometimes you don’t. And yeah, it feels weird to say but it’s obviously not the end of the world. We’re very proud of the group and very proud of everyone in the club. People that aren’t here today and a lot of people that didn’t manage to get on the pitch today and couldn’t attend – like top to bottom.
“The club’s been an amazing place to be this year. The sports been incredible this season. The Northampton fans as much of the Bath fans- the support has been outstanding. It’s been one of the best years I’ve had, and yes, I would say that because we got to the final but it has been one of the best years I can think of from a premiership point of view in terms of competitiveness.”
Underhill got his own serving of praise following the final, as Bath head coach Johann van Graan tagged the blue, black and white bruiser with a ‘world class’ accolade. Whilst the flanker was appreciative of such high praise from the South African coach, he was assured in how his actions do not rival that of the entire team performance and name-checked some of his top performing Bath teammates.
“Yeah, I guess it’s always team game and I know that is really a cliché! But we played well and still came last. Really it’s down to everyone around you. Everyone consistently looks into strength and depth. A lot of guys have stepped up guys like Ted (Hill) and Alfie (Barbeary) have been consistently brilliant. Miles Reed and Josh Bayliss have been brilliant all year too and that makes your job so much easier having quality players around you.
“So yeah, anyone (how) playing well is really a measure of a team playing well from my perspective, but I enjoyed it and it was fun. It’s weird to say that having lost but sometimes you can lose a bit easier knowing that you took the chances in front of you and that you don’t have any regrets.”
“I guess where we are as a club will depend on how we do from now? You want to have something tangible that’s more than just a good year or a good performance. You want to have something that’s based upon habits and based upon consistency, which is the sort of thing Johann’s (van Graan) tried to get across to us all season.”
There is no doubting that van Graan has turned Bath around in his time at the Rec. Van Graan has been with the Somerset side since taking over from Stuart Hooper in 2022, and has steadily established a philosophy which has been bringing the results back to the club. Van Graan has previously referred to his structuring as a ‘team-ship’, and Underhill gave an insight into how this will help ready the men in blue, black and white to go again next season.
“It’s not quite that happy-clappy thing as people make out when they say ‘one big family’. It’s always a little bit more. There are tensions right in professional sport there always going to be and that’s what ultimately it’s about. It’s inevitable when most of what you do is being aligned in the same direction. We still challenge each other. It’s still a competitive place to be but I think the one thing he’s probably brought my head is stability, he’s so levelheaded.
“Win or lose, amazing game or poor game, he brings a level of consistency and when your boss is that level headed, then you can get better and you can improve and build on it. When you got a sort of a turbulent environment then that’s harder to grow in. I think that’s there’s a lot of latent learning has gone on, but it’s really been facilitated by him being so consistent.”