By Glen Leat
May 13 2004

It's ages before our boys trot out on to the lush green pasture known as Twickenham and already many are saying, "What's there to keep us occupied in the mean time? Well here is something, a chance for you to vote on your Bath players of the season.

It has been a wonderful season for us all, from the amazing 44-32 away win at Leeds, which made many of us sit up and take notice that something may be happening after a few years of despair, to losing just one game in the first nineteen: and then only by a whisker at Newcastle. Winning away at Wasps, Tigers and Saints was something dreams are made of but to beat Leicester twice in a month was something none of us could have imagined at the start of the season.

Without wishing to influence your voting finger when it comes to the forwards, in my opinion this has been the year of Jonathan Humphreys. Some of you may remember reading comments from me before the season started that Humph should be the main man and, with all due respect to Danny Grewcock, I think I've been proved right. He may only play on the pitch for 60 minutes but he plays the last 20 minutes on the touchline, never sitting down, always shouting encouragement and embracing each player as they leave the field: what lucky people our coaches are to have this bloke in the thick of things. Humphreys may bleed red Welsh blood if you cut him but his bruises are always the blue, black and white of Bath!

We have a lot to thank Bristol for this year, they've supplied us with a marvellous crop of young players all as keen to win for Bath this year as they were to beat Bath last year, and that's how it should be. In particular Andrew Higgins stands out: how does one so small and slender make such big hits? However a special mention has to be made of Chris Malone. He's had a hard time from many of us since arriving from Exeter and looked well below Premiership standards last season. This year, however, has seen a revelation in his game and it's no co-incidence that he's started in the last two key matches and may well be the starter in the Final. Malone's place kicking is top notch, up there with the best in the country, and his kicking from hand has brought a new dimension to our play - well done mate, your strength of character has paid dividends for you and Bath Rugby.

Well that's enough from me, who's your choice?

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