In the eyes of Gloucester fans, Tom Dunn is probably the closest a Bathonian can get to one of them – an honest grafter who has a full-on West Country accent and no hint of pretentiousness.
However, any feelings of bonhomie towards a player wearing blue, black and white are quickly put to one side whenever the two clubs meet in what has become the fiercest of rivalries, one that has been around for 143 years.
Both teams have enjoyed their moments in the sun, literally in the case of Bath’s 1990 Cup-winning team, who cut Gloucester apart in baking hot conditions, to rack up a record 48-6 win.
Thomas du Toit on Wilco Louw and Bath experience
Thomas du Toit on Wilco Louw and Bath experience
And last season was painful viewing for supporters of a Cherry & White persuasion, who had to witness three heavy league and cup defeats at the hands of the perceived privileged lot down the road.
As for Gloucester fans, they’ll never forget the day when they kicked Bath while they were down, by inflicting an incredible 64-0 defeat on one of their nearest but not so dearest at Kingsholm in 2022. Out of all the Bath players that day, Dunn looked the most disconsolate once the final whistle sounded on the club’s darkest hour-and-a-bit.
Early in his career, Dunn was an unused replacement when it all kicked off at Kingsholm in 2014, the match where referee Tim Wigglesworth dished out five yellow and two red cards, and led to Carl Fearns giving it large – an act that Miles Reid repeated at a later date – in front of the Shed after an 18-17 victory.
Then Finn Russell, who’s fairly new to all of this, joined in the fun when he silenced one of the most famous terraces in rugby by nailing a touchline kick amid a barrage of abuse and promptly raised a finger to his lips.
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Tom Dunn of Bath is tackled by Louis Rees-Zammit during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Gloucester Rugby and Bath Rugby at Kingsholm Stadium on April 14, 2023 in Gloucester, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
On the face of it, Saturday’s latest match-up is only about the five points on offer, but Dunn knows better than most that it means so much more than that.
“There was that big fight, with Nick Abendanon and Carl Fearns and Carl Fearns gave the crowd the fingers,” he recalled.
“And there was another occasion where the Shed poured cider on us on the bench.
“I mean, it is all tongue-in-cheek stuff, but there is a bit more spice to it.”
Dunn’s ‘all-in’ approach is the same whether he’s playing in a pre-season friendly or a West Country derby that dates back to 1882.
Passion courses through the hooker’s blue, black and white veins, but he says he has learned to adapt his game and be more efficient and effective in what he does rather than charging around the pitch at 100 miles per hour.
“I am definitely feeling the best I have felt, technically and tactically and understanding-wise, but I think it can lead to you physically as well, you can be a bit smarter,” he said.
“Probably 10 years ago, I would run on the pitch 100 miles per hour, whereas now I can be more effective in what I am doing. I might only be making 15 or 16 tackles instead of 35, but my dominance might be greater. I might be making fewer carries, but my dominance might be higher. So, I am feeling great.”
During his 16 years at the club, Dunn has seen plenty of hookers come and go, including summer signing Dan Frost, who is back at Bath for a second spell after things didn’t work out for him the first time around as an academy player.
Frost made a name for himself at Cornish Pirates before embarking on a Premiership career with Wasps and Exeter, and Dunn welcomes the new voice and new ideas that the dynamic 22-year-old has brought to the Bath changing room.
With Dunn, Frost, Jasper Spandler and England U20 behemoth Kepu Tuipulotu to choose from, Bath are well stocked at hooker.
“It’s been brilliant, they have all started calling me Tom Dunn and the seven dwarfs, they’re all about 5’8,” he joked.
“I knew Frosty from before, when he was in the academy.
“We have all got different qualities. Dan is electric with his feet, Kepu is mad powerful, Jasper is really good at the set piece, and I am just old.
“We are all working really well together and it’s been a really good pre-season.
“We’ve also got young lads like Max Pearce and Oscar Thomas pushing through as well.”
Dunn added: “I really enjoy it when a front row player joins from another club or another league because they look at things differently. If I just stood in the meeting room and said, this is what we do, this is how we do it,’ we are never going to get better, we are going to plateau at some point.
“Whereas when Thomas (du Toit) joined here from the Sharks, I learned so much from him.
“Dan has come in this year and taught me how they do things there and said, ‘have you thought about this?’ You don’t change the route you’re on, you add to it, or you realise there are other ways of doing things.
“I love the knowledge that Dan has brought in, and I am always keen for that.”