SportsOrbit

It has been 29 years since Bath were crowned English champions, a record that the current squad hopes to break on Saturday afternoon at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. Bath achieved a double in 1995/96, winning the Gallagher Premiership title and the Pilkington Cup with a controversial one-point victory over their opponents, Leicester, in the upcoming final. Phil de Glanville raised the Cup aloft at Twickenham that day, having also started all but one of the 18 league games, the 38-38 tie with Sale on the penultimate day of the season, which nearly gave the Tigers the title. At the same time, Steve Ojomoh was a significant member of the pack, playing in every position in the back row. Their names will be forever linked to Bath Rugby folklore for their exploits in blue, black, and white, but even more so now that their sons, Tom de Glanville and Max Ojomoh, are among the current celebrated crop of players on the verge of surpassing the class of 1995/96 by landing a treble. RugbyPass sat down with Tom and Max a few days out from the final between two of English rugby’s best clubs to discuss numerous topics, including fatherly counsel, the success of the season to date, living in a goldfish box, and what irritates them about the media, among others. Max, your father has already mentioned that he may not have taken full advantage of his skill. Did he tell you not to make the same mistake? If so, I guessed it worked because you were believed to have trained better than everyone else this summer before becoming injured. MO: Not really. Not to disparage him, but my enthusiasm for the game is more around the technical aspects. As a result, I enjoy working out and playing sports. However, if he is always making contact, I doubt he loved training. I don’t love doing much else in the summer besides training, so I try to go all year. And, Tom, what is the biggest piece of wisdom your father has given you? TDG: Probably not much rugby-related content. I believe the most important thing he has taught me is to embrace life and appreciate what we have now. I can imagine that in 5-10 years, it will be quite easy to feel as if nothing has changed. He reminds me every chance he gets to enjoy and appreciate what we have because it is a privilege to do so. This group will only exist for the next 3-4 years or so, which is a rather small period of time, so enjoy it. On that subject, you both took different tactics as you walked through ‘the tunnel of noise’ prior of the Challenge Cup final in Cardiff. Tom smiled, while Max remained focused. TDG: Referring back to what I spoke before about what my father told me about enjoying and appreciating these moments. Walking into games with our teammates and the rest of the squad cheering us on may never happen again, for all I know. I hope it happens, but it may not, so I don’t want to experience these moments and be so caught up in it that I never enjoy it. MO: Inside, I smile the same as him; I simply find it strange that so many people are staring at us. Until I’m on the pitch, it feels strange that they’re congratulating us. I am grateful for it, but I try to focus on the earth.