Van Graan: Nienaber is a class coach

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Van Graan: Nienaber is a class coach
JOHANN VAN GRAANJACQUES NIENABERLEINSTER
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Bath head coach Johann van Graan is set to face off against former teammate and current Leinster head coach Jacques Nienaber in a Champions Cup clash. Van Graan praises Nienaber's coaching abilities and acknowledges the strength of Leinster's defense. He also discusses the differences between facing Leinster and Munster, emphasizing the emotional intensity of an Irish derby.

Bath head coach Johann van Graan is preparing to challenge the formidable defensive system of a close friend. In Dublin tomorrow, van Graan's Premiership-leading Bath will face off against Jacques Nienaber's four-time European champions, Leinster, in a pivotal Champions Cup Pool 2 clash.

The two South Africans share a long history, having first encountered each other when van Graan was a technical advisor for the Bulls and Nienaber was at the Cheetahs, initially as a physiotherapist and then as Rassie Erasmus' defence coach. 'We both ran the touchline on the far side of the pitch and I fondly recall those days,' van Graan told the Irish Independent. 'Three Currie Cup finals in a row. And then he went in with Rassie at the Stormers.' 'We worked at the Boks for a few years and we had a tough series against Ireland in 2016. Ireland won at Newlands, we won at Ellis Park and it went down to the final pass in Port Elizabeth. 'Jacques went to Ireland and then I did. ' He is definitely one of the best coaches I have come across in terms of passion for the game, always wanting to learn more. He is always heart and soul. And you can see that in the Leinster defence. 'He has definitely got to the heart of that team. And look, to cut a very long story short, I can’t speak highly enough of Jacques. He is a class coach.' Bath have scored a prolific 54 tries in 10 Premiership matches this season, and 11 in three Champions Cup outings, but they will need to overcome one of the most formidable defenses in world rugby tomorrow. 'We average nearly 40 points and five tries a game, we have come up against blitz defence in the Premiership. We can play in many different ways and we need to get selection right,' said van Graan, whose Munster team only managed to beat Leicester twice in 13 matches over a five-year period. 'The difference for me is Munster versus Leinster, you’ve got the emotional bit, it’s an Irish derby, whereas this is an English team versus an Irish team. 'There will be emotion but the teams don’t play against each other a lot. We had a taste against them last season in a warm-up game. 'I’d say the biggest difference is definitely their line speed – that has obviously changed a lot. Obviously, whoever they pick, they can pick so many guys, but Sam Prendergast at 10 is very different to Johnny Sexton in terms of the way he plays. Two very quality players in their own right.

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JOHANN VAN GRAAN JACQUES NIENABER LEINSTER BATH CHAMPIONS CUP DEFENSE COACHING RUGBY

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