Van Graan has 'utmost respect' for Du Toit as Bath go top of Premiership / Photo: Valentine CHAPUIS - AFP
Van Graan has 'utmost respect' for Du Toit as Bath go top of Premiership
Bath boss Johann van Graan lauded South Africa prop Thomas du Toit's ongoing impact after a 40-13 rout of Sale on Saturday left his side top of the English Premiership table.
Du Toit was one of six try-scorers along with Will Muir, Miles Reid, Ted Hill, Tom Carr-Smith and Francois van Wyk.
Bath have now won five of their six Premiership fixtures following a dramatic defeat by Northampton in last season's final.
Van Graan, asked about compatriot Du Toit after Bath leapfrogged rivals Bristol into first place, replied: "I have the utmost respect for him," adding: "Where else in the world can you find a loosehead and tighthead combined into one?
"How good are his hands, putting Will Muir through the gap for his try?...The doc also put stitches in him at half-time, and he comes out and performs again for the next 30 minutes."
- 'No trophy for second' -
Bath lead Leicester by a point as the Premiership heads into a month-long break for the November internationals, the Tigers withstanding a late Saracens rally in a 32-29 win that gave them a first victory at the London club's ground in six years.
When Handre Pollard, a double World Cup winner with South Africa, kicked a penalty heading into the final quarter, Leicester led by 15 points.
But tries from Juan Martin Gonzalez and James Hadfield meant Saracens closed to within three points. Leicester, however, closed out a match where both teams were missing their England players ahead of New Zealand's visit to Twickenham next weekend.
Experienced coach Michael Cheika was brought in by Leicester in pre-season after the Tigers finished a lowly eighth last season.
They are now second in the standings, but former Australia and Argentina supremo Cheika said: "You don't get a trophy for second. You don't get trophies six weeks in and second in the table."
Elsewhere, Gloucester overpowered bottom-of-the-table Newcastle 36-7 in a win featuring five players selected by Wales coach Warren Gatland for the November internationals.
Gloucester have been labelled the "fifth Welsh region" after veteran coach Gatland included scrum-half Tomos Williams, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, centre Max Llewellyn, full-back Josh Hathaway and lock Freddie Thomas in his squad.
"I hope they'll feel Gatland's intensity for a couple of games and then come back and bring a few bits with them," said Gloucester coach George Skivington after the Cherry and Whites went fifth in the table.
J.Owen--MC-UK
