There is an old school feel to this weekend’s Premiership final, a famous fixture of yesteryear stirring the nostalgic senses. Bucket hats once more decorate the domes of the nation’s youth, wide-leg jeans have usurped their skinny-fit siblings and the established powers of the 1990s are back in fashion in English rugby, too. Between the inception of the Courage League in 1987 and the introduction of this showpiece affair in 2003, Bath and Leicester Tigers won 12 of the 15 top-flight titles on offer; six trophy tilts apiece in an extended duopoly over the game.
While Tigers have roared repeatedly since, Bath have had to be patient. The last of that run of six titles in eight years is their most recent overall; 29 years coming and going with just three final defeats mustered, foggy memories of silverware long since losing their lustre. A restoration is overdue.
