Bath back row Miles Reid has got two huge goals on his mind, as he pushes for additional honours with his club along with international recognition before the end of 2025. Bath sit on the edge of a historic season, with just the Premiership crown separating them from an unprecedented treble.

The Premiership Rugby Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup winners, Bath have already enjoyed a season of success ahead of the incoming Premiership play offs. Johann van Graan’s side host Bristol Bears on Friday night at the Rec, after a statement making campaign took them to the top of the league table. Bath’s stunning season saw them secure a place in the play-offs three weeks ahead of the end of the regular season, with a home semi-final booked in for the blue, black and white titans.

Miles Reid expressed how despite the prior success, with two trophies safely stored away already this season, the Premiership was always the target for his team. Bath flew to the summit of the Premiership with 14 wins in 18 matches, and are backed as favourites ahead of this weekend’s semi-finals. The path to the treble is now two-thirds complete, with Reid ready for the next challenge that lies ahead for his side.

“I think the Premiership has always been our goal. Obviously we we’re there last year. Lost out last year closely. So, yeah, that’s our main goal.” Reid said. “We actually get to bear that reward having already qualified. You know, it gives us a look forward to our semi final.”

Bath last won the Premiership title back in the 1995/96 season, with the past 29 years providing the Rec faithful with an unfilled appetite when it comes to silverware. Whilst the blue, black and whites have not lifted the top flight title in nearly three decades, they came agonisingly close in last season’s Premiership Final defeat to Northampton Saints.

Ried expressed how the 25-21 defeat at the Allianz Stadium stoked Bath’s burning fire to new scorching highs, and instilled the belief that the Somerset club would go one better this time around. Reid had a 13 minute effort on the bench in Bath’s last visit to Twickenham, as and vows to push his side on in their return to the Premiership mountain top.

“Speaking to one of the guys at the end of the game, you can’t replicate that feeling (of a final). You can try as hard as you can to, develop situations and training and everything like that, but you can’t replicate that many people there watching and when the consequences are so high.

“So I think playing in these games, and obviously we did the Prem Cup this season, and, we’re aiming to get to the Premiership Final and hopefully win that. But, you have to go to those places, to experience and learn from that. We definitely learn from that last year, and that’s just one step on our journey.”

Turning his attention to the international stage, and Reid could well earn a long awaited run in the England team this Summer. With 121 Bath caps under his belt, it’s staggering to think that he is yet to pick up an England debut despite his best efforts. Reid could get the call with key absentees from England’s back row away on the British & Irish Lions tour, as Ben Earl and Tom Curry both head down under to Australia with Andy Farrell’s touring side.

This could well open up the door for Reid, yet he will have an assortment of eight-men to push past if he wants to get his hands on the England jersey. Tom Willis has emerged as a front-runner for the shirt, with Chandler Cunningham-South recently rehabbing from an injury with the side. Throw into the mix the likes of Bristol’s Fitz Harding and Reid’s own Bath teammate Alfie Barbeary, and there are plenty of back rowers all vying to round off the English pack this Summer.

Reid stayed humble in how he conducted himself, when asked about what he needs to do to get the attention of the England selectors. A great believer that everything will fall into place at the right time, Reid will keep on knocking down the door until he simply cannot be ignored by Steve Borthwick and the England team selectors.

“I don’t have any messages. I just got to keep on knocking down and doing well here. No, I think first and foremost that’s all you can do, is play well for your club, and whatever happens off the back of that happens. I’m loving my rugby, loving playing this year. It’s brilliant fun, and with a group of lads that are top notch boys and would do anything for you and you’d do anything for them.”

Reid could be set to face off against his own clubmate Alfie Barbeary for England selection, with their professional relationship pushing each other to new heights in the hopes of a call-up. Reid expressed how he has a solid partnership with Barbeary, even while the pair are locked in an arm wrestle over Bath’s eight jersey. Pulling back the curtain on how the back row battlers engage off the pitch, Reid revealed a solid foundation that has pushed the Bath scrum to new strengths this season.

“We’d have had a chat before, and we spoke about me loosening the lid and then him taking the lid off. We’re very different in terms of the way that we play. You know, Alfie is an amazing ball carrier. Obviously, we lost Jaco (Coetzee to injury) earlier in the year, which was gutting for him, because you’ve been going so well at 23, coming on and carrying the ball. So Alfie kind of filled that role, so that worked really well. He’s a good lad. He makes me laugh.”

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