SKIPPER Stuart Hooper has promised that Bath will use their Aviva Premiership final heartache as a stepping stone for future success.

Bath were outmuscled by a steely Saracens side in the final at Twickenham last Saturday, with the Londoners romping to a 28-16 success.

It marked another near-miss for Bath in their pursuit of a first piece of silverware since 2008, with Mike Ford’s men also beaten in last year’s European Challenge Cup final by Northampton.

However, with Ford’s new-look side at The Rec still only two years in the making, Hooper was quick to hail the improvements Bath have made and added that qualification for the final shows they are on the right track.

“First and foremost we have to give credit to Saracens – they’re a fantastic team and deserve it. They came to win the final and they did that,” said lock Hooper.

“It’s hugely disappointing but we need to make sure that we realise that it was not a wasted year, we’ve developed as a group and as people.

“We worked hard and got to this point but we didn’t really do ourselves justice today.

“One of the reasons we start out on these journeys is to stand on top of the podium and hold the trophy above our heads with the fireworks going off in the background with our kids in our arms.

“It was Saracens’ day, not our day but we will keep working and keep believing in what we are doing and we’ll be back.”