Bath Rugby may have fallen short in their Champions Cup semi-final, but head of rugby Johann van Graan insists there are no regrets—only valuable lessons to carry forward.

The defending Premiership champions were edged out 38-26 by French powerhouse Bordeaux-Bègles on Sunday, dashing hopes of reaching their first European final since 1998. Despite the defeat, Van Graan's side showed grit against a Bordeaux team that entered the knockout stage as the tournament's top seed—and enjoyed the advantage of playing essentially a home fixture within city limits.

For Bath, the narrow margin of defeat in such a high-stakes clash underscores just how fine the line can be between glory and heartbreak. The only points they dropped all competition came during a January group-stage loss away to Toulon—a result that ultimately cost them the highest seeding for the latter rounds.

"Home ground advantage is massive in this competition," Van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol. "If you look at the history, home teams generally get to the final. Our learnings are clear: we've got to make sure we pick up every single point. We got five against Munster, one against Toulon, five against Castres in France, five against Edinburgh—it's that second game in France which is always such a tough test."

Under Van Graan's leadership, Bath have already claimed the Premiership title, the Premiership Rugby Cup, and the Challenge Cup. But the one trophy that has eluded them for nearly three decades is European rugby's top prize—last won when it was still known as the Heineken Cup. The club came close in 2006, falling at the semi-final stage away to Brive, but Van Graan is determined to go further.

"We as a group have grown to love this competition," he said. "Who knows what happens next season? One season doesn't have anything to do with the next, but this is the only competition we haven't won yet. It's definitely something we'd love to achieve in our time together."

England winger Henry Arundell, who played the full 80 minutes in France, echoed that sentiment, saying the result gave the squad "validation" that they can compete with the world's best. For Bath fans, the message is clear: this team is building something special, and the lessons from this defeat could be the foundation for future European glory.