Tom Dunn: Bath hooker reveals how Ben Spencer is leading the club to an unprecedented treble

Bath have their sights set on the Premiership title to complete an unforgettable treble, which would be an era-defyining win for the Somerset club. Bath have not lifted the league title since 1996, with an arduous 29-year wait on the cusp of being broken as we head into the play off semi-finals this weekend. Having comfortably topped the table with 14 wins from 18 matches, Bath will host Bristol Bears at the Rec with a West Country derby set to determine of this season's Premiership finalists.

Spear-heading the effort is Bath captain Ben Spencer, who has ushered in an era of accomplishment for the spa city side. Appointed by van Graan to skipper the side ahead of the 2023/24 season, Spencer led the club to the Premiership Final and a narrow 25-21 defeat to Northampton Saints. His teammate and fellow Bath leader Tom Dunn, could not find high enough praise for the halfback, who is one step away from returning to Twickenham for the league's grand finale at the Allianz Stadium.

"I think he's brilliant. It's the example he sets." Dunn said. "You see, when he's left the pitch he's shattered, he's emptied the tank, he chases every kick. He's our main man in defense, he organizes it. He's the main one setting the tempo, he's the one that leads.

"He's also got this amazing ability to, how I describe as play the piano. So there's boys like me, who push the piano, he plays it. But his decision making, his skill, his accuracy, it's contagious. Being contagious to the team and the entire group you set the standards. We can all sit here and talk about them, but he's an example on the pitch, with his training effort, his extras, where he performs. When someone like that talks, everyone comes to listen."

A stalwart of the Rec in his own right, Dunn first wore the famous blue, black and white when he debuted for the club back in 2012. 14 seasons and 236 appearances have since past, with his only stint away from the club being a seven cap run on loan with London Scottish in his debut year.

By definition a one-club man in how he never left the books at the Rec, Dunn had to wait 14 years until he experienced winning major silverware with his beloved Bath. Having grafted for nearly a decade and a half to get his hands on a trophy, Dunn could have three winners medals around his neck by the time the season comes to a close.

"It's huge (to me). But I wouldn't want to talk about that. The main thing is the whole group. You can say, I've been there 14 years, Johann's been here three, Ben's been here, five or six. I wouldn't take it away from anyone else in the group, what it means to them.

"That's the togetherness we have, and how we will fight for each other. You saw that, when we're down to 13 men (in Challenge Cup Final vs Lyon), how we scramble, how we hit, how we work hard off the ball. It means the same to everyone, and everyone's immensely proud."

It's clear to see that Bath head coach Johann van Graan has instilled a stunning philosophy into his side who are on the fringes of making history. The only other English side to have won the 'treble' in the professional era is Leicester Tigers, however this comes with an asterisk from the 2000/01 season.

Leicester won the Heineken Cup (Champions Cup) and triumphed in the domestic league play offs, but the Tigers were also awarded a trophy for finishing at the top of the Zurich Championship come the end of the season. By the same logic, Bath have already achieved a treble, having cruised to the top of the Gallagher Premiership in a stellar season. The quadruple would hypothetically now be up for grabs, if you want to make such comparisons with the Tigers' treble.

Dunn expressed how his side have never rested on their laurels, due to the immense fire and competitiveness within the wider squad. The depth that Bath has at it's disposal is something to be admired, with the non match day squad routinely pushing the selected players to hit their very best if they want to keep hold of their shirts.

"The hunger and fire has been there. It's been there from long as I can remember. We've always wanted, and we've always trained hard. We've always trained at intensity to create that. As Johann touched on, this isn't the end. There's no end to this.

"We talk about continuous improvement, and that can be everything from the way you recover, to the way you do your extras, to the way you study the game. I think the hunger is huge, and it's driven mostly by the players who aren't playing. They're the ones that are just in the (training) week.

"They're the ones that drive standards in training. They paint the pictures that we're going to face at the weekend. So they're hungry to play. They want our shirts. The drive within in the group is one that helps the groups go forward."