Bath coach reveals Edinburgh player he 'has soft spot for' and impact of plastic pitch on preparations

Johann van Graan, centre, Bath Rugby's head coach, with Finn Russell, left. | Getty Images

Johann van Graan is focused on keeping Bath’s treble bid alive at Hive Stadium on Saturday but admits there is one Edinburgh player he has a soft spot for.

The respected South African used to coach Pierre Schoeman as a schoolboy and has watched the prop develop into a “phenomenal” international player.

Van Graan, Bath’s head of rugby, and Schoeman will be on opposite sides this weekend as Edinburgh host the English Premiership’s runaway leaders in the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup but the coach’s relationship with the Schoeman brothers runs deep.

Johann van Graan, centre, Bath Rugby's head coach, with Finn Russell, left. | Getty Images

“‘Husky’, as I call him - I don’t know what the Scots call him!” laughed van Graan, who has already guided Bath to success in the Premiership Rugby Cup this season. “Both Juan Schoeman, who was here at Bath [and is now with the Lions], and Pierre Schoeman, we all went to the same school.

“They are obviously much younger than I am but I coached Pierre when he was still at school so I’ve known him for a very long time, I know the family pretty well.

“I’ve got a soft spot for him. He’s a phenomenal player, not only for the Bulls in his earlier years but for what he’s done for Edinburgh and specifically Scotland. In my view, he’s become one of Scotland’s best players and I’m sure if he’s selected for Edinburgh this weekend he will perform for them.

“He’s got mad moments in him but he’s always had that. If I think back to the Bulls game [Edinburgh’s Challenge Cup quarter-final] a few weeks ago, he was the guy who got the last poach. He’s developed his game so much and he’s known for his ball-carrying ability.

“He’s a great human being and, as I say, I’ve got a soft spot for him and he’s certainly become a very good international rugby player.”

Johann van Graan is a big admirer of Pierre Schoeman. | Getty Images

Edinburgh opted against moving the semi-final to Murrayfield, preferring instead to maximise home advantage by keeping the game within the tighter confines of the Hive where the artificial pitch is not always to the opposition’s liking. Van Graan said he would adjust his game-plan to suit the surface.

“Look, from where I'm sitting, pitches, where they play, who's the referee, what type of ball we use, what time we play, that's not anything that either of the teams can control,” said the coach. “What I would say about that little ground, I remember when we played there with Bath United a few seasons ago, it's a good atmosphere.”

Asked if it would influence his team selection, van Graan added: “I think it's a consideration. I wouldn't say it's the main consideration. I've learned a lot since coming to the Northern Hemisphere in 2017 about plastic pitches. In South Africa, we don’t play on them from a rugby point of view.

“We’ve changed the way we train when we play on one of these pitches. We’ve done it before this season, playing away at Gloucester, and we’ve played away at Glasgow before.

“You’ve got to adjust your game and make sure you plan well for it and I believe we’ve planned as well as we could for this weekend and once you’re on the pitch you’ve got to forget about the pitch and just play.

“The result will be the result but we’re pretty comfortable with the way we’ve prepared this week for the plastic pitch.”