Bath embracing Prem and Champions Cup challenge - Van Graan

Bath are relishing the challenge of fighting on two fronts in the Champions Cup and Prem says head of rugby Johann van Graan.

The reigning Prem champions go into the final weeks of the season second in the league table and having reached the semi-finals of the European competition for the first time in 20 years.

"For us we see it as a massive positive," Van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol.

"I know on the outside [there are] a lot of questions being in both competitions but ultimately we want to play in as many games as possible."

Bath's squad depth and the way they rotate players in and out of the matchday team has been a major part of their success under Van Graan.

Last season they won the Prem Rugby Cup, European Challenge Cup and a first Prem title for 27 years in a historic treble, but this season hope to go one further and add a first Champions Cup victory since 1998.

Yet their progress in Europe means over the next five weeks they have no let-up in fixtures.

They host Harlequins on Saturday (17:30 BST) and a week later face Northampton away - who they beat in a Champions Cup quarter-final thriller last weekend - in a top of the table clash in the Prem.

They then travel Bordeaux Begles on 3 May for their European final four match before the Prem returns seven days later with back-to-back games away at Exeter and at home to Newcastle.

"It's great for us to be in this position, it's a position that we want to embrace," Van Graan said.

"Every game is important, we're going to keep using our squad across the last number of weeks but that shouldn't be a surprise because we've done that across the last four years."

Van Graan maintained that communication with the players around squad selection has also been key to why they work so well.

Players already know when they will be in the squad for the upcoming games with all scenarios planned for going into the closing stages of the campaign.

"In the inner circle the players know exactly what's happening over the next few weeks. The bit that I think you will fail is if you haven't planned for all eventualities," he said.

"It's something we believe in, open communication, and the players will know when they will play over the next weeks.

"Nothing really changes for us, win or lose we plan for everything and then even still rugby throws up scenarios that even we haven't thought of."