FOR THE FIRST time since leaving Ulster back in 2014, hooker Niall Annett will go up against his native province this weekend.
The former Ireland U20 captain is now in his second season with Johann van Graan’s Bath, having spent the previous eight years with Worcester.
Annett was one of the lucky ones to get out before Warriors collapsed. He and his young family are loving life in the picturesque Bath, while things are going well on the pitch too. The men from Somerset are joint-top of the Premiership after eight games, all of which 32-year-old Annett has featured in.
On Saturday, they launch their Champions Cup campaign at The Rec and it will be a special occasion for Annett, who played for Ulster 20 times before heading abroad in search of first-team rugby.
“I’m an Ulsterman, I’m from Belfast,” says Annett. “It’s where I started my rugby journey. That’s where I went when I was 12 with my old man. We’d go every Friday night and it’s a rugby club I’m very passionate about. I have a lot of close friends who play there and work there but also who are massive Ulster supporters. This weekend, we’re on opposite sides of the fence and it’s very exciting.
“I think half of Belfast is heading over. There’s an Irish pub in Bath called Flan O’Briens and I think it’s going to have to stock up hard on a few Guinness kegs. But it’s going to be nice to have that many people from home over.”
Bath have spoken about how Ulster will be hurting after their defeats to Glasgow and Edinburgh in the URC, while ex-Munster boss van Graan has underlined to his players just how dearly the Irish provinces love the Champions Cup.
Anyone needing an insight into what Ulster rugby is all about can turn to Annett, who remains friends with the likes of Iain Henderson.
“I left nearly 10 years ago and this is the first time I get to lock horns with what I consider my home club.
“I’m looking forward to Hendy trying to take my head off cos he’s a good pal of mine, then having a beer with some of them after what will hopefully be a great game of rugby,” he says.
Annett will park his affinity for Ulster for the afternoon and would love to help Bath get off to a flying start in this Champions Cup campaign, continuing the momentum they’ve picked up in the Premiership.
The hooker joined in 2022 at the same time as van Graan, having made the decision that he needed a fresh challenge after eight seasons with Worcester.
Not that he and his family didn’t love it there. Annett had earned huge respect within the club and finished with 132 appearances for the Warriors. So he watched in agony as it all fell apart only months after he left, the saga ending with the club being disbanded.
“It was desperately sad,” says Annett. “I didn’t know things were as bad as they were. I knew things weren’t brilliant because we’d had some sticky issues around payments but I didn’t realise the club was going to die.
“Watching it unfold from Bath, I was sick to my stomach. I have a lot of very, very close friends there – staff, players, supporters. We had thrown ourselves into the community there, we were very happy there, so moving away was a big decision. It was just great sadness seeing that.”
At the same time as he watched Worcester crumbling, Annett was settling into life in his first season with Bath. He made 20 appearances in the Premiership and Challenge Cup and was part of a set-up that underwent considerable change.
Van Graan and his coaching staff were keen to make big changes to the intensity of training at Bath but had to do it gradually so everyone didn’t end up injured. Slowly but surely, they made the shift and Annett says the players were proud to finish the season with four consecutive bonus-point wins following a tricky campaign.
Now they feel they’re ready to kick onto another level. With five wins from eight games so far in the English league, these are exciting times.
“The scary thing is we feel like there’s still a lot of growth in our game,” says Annett.
Adding to the excitement is the fact that Scottish out-half Finn Russell has made a good start to life with the club having joined after the World Cup.
“He’s so normal,” says Annett of his impression of Russell. “We all see the Finn that plays on a Saturday but what people will like to hear is that he is genuinely just a normal bloke. He loves a bit of craic. He’s very down to earth.
“His confidence isn’t arrogance. He is confident in his ability to go and execute on the pitch but he will take the mick out of himself as much as he will take the mick out of you. That’s a relatable quality for an Irish person. He settled in so quickly and he’s been very good for us.”
Annett is also enjoying working with South African boss van Graan, who joined last year after five seasons in charge of Munster.
“He’s very honest and direct,” says Annett of van Graan. “He has clear expectations of what he wants from players. I enjoy that because you need to know what’s expected so you can work hard to get there.
“He leads a lot of meetings and it’s always concise and clear. There’s never any waffle. It’s always direct, specific information. He’s brought together a fantastic staff so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it as a player and also someone who wants to maybe dip their toe into coaching. There’s a lot I’m taking in that aspect as well.”
Former Wasps boss Lee Blackett joined the coaching staff last summer too, bringing an innovative edge to their attack. Annett praises Blackett’s understanding of the game, while he says it’s helpful that the coaching team also has former Bath players in Jon Callard and Andy Robinson, who were involved in successful teams in the club’s past.
Bath have a proud history. They’ve won six Premiership titles but the most recent was in 1996, while their only Champions Cup glory came back in 1998.
Those are the heights this Bath side are aiming to scale in the future.
“When you walk through The Rec, you can see the history of the rugby club,” says Annett.
“I love walking into the changing rooms and seeing all those prints on the walls because it’s the DNA of what this rugby club is.”
