Van Graan swoops with four signings
Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan pulled off a transfer coup this week, landing four of stricken Worcester Warriors’ best players.
The Blue, Black and White have seen their early season heavily disrupted by serious injuries, losing loosehead prop Beno Obano to a dislocated knee, backrowers Sam Underhill and Chris Cloete to shoulder and foot injuries respectively, and lock Josh Mcnally and back five utility man GJ van Velve to dislocated shoulders.
So the addition of Russian international loosehead Valeriy Morozov, England flanker Ted Hill, and Australian lock Fergus Lee-warner from suspended Worcester Warriors on one-month injury dispensation loans makes perfect sense.
But with no centres injured, the addition of the dynamic Ollie Lawrence, inset, provides a deeper glimpse of van Graan’s longer-term vision for the club with Bath’s backline highly skillful but a little lightweight, barring big 17-and-half-stone Joe Cokanasiga on the wing who is noticeably being brought in off the flank more regularly to have more involvements.
Asked why he has signed 23-year-old Lawrence - who is just on the periphery of Eddie Jones’ England squad with less than a year to the Rugby World Cup initially van Graan answered with two words - “gain line.”
He continued: “He is an international standard player. Ollie is somebody who wants to achieve, somebody who is exceptional both sides of the ball, somebody who offers a poach threat, has good feet, a good hand off, good balance and somebody I really enjoyed talking to when I spoke to him.”
He added: “I think the composition of the squad is going to take time and he adds something different to the centres we currently have. I am going to add people who I think can make a difference and for now for the short term I think he can make a difference.”
Van Graan confirmed some of the new arrivals could be involved this weekend when Gloucester head to the Rec.