mens
Gallagher-Prime Minister
England prop Will Stuart will play his first game since rupturing his Achilles tendon Bath against Bedford tonight in a pre-season friendly at Goldington Road, broadcast by online broadcaster Clubber TV.
Stuart went off early in the second half against Bath in the Champions Cup Munster in mid-December last year and missed the rest of the 2025/26 season.
But the tight-head, who committed his future to Bath in February by signing a new deal until 2028, is now set to return after a lengthy rehabilitation period and has been named on the bench.
Stuart’s importance to Bath became even more important after the summer departure of Thomas du Toit to Sharks in South Africa, and head coach Johann van Graan will be praying the 30-year-old gets through the match in Bedford unscathed.
Wales international Archie Griffin, who underwent toe surgery this summer, starts the match firmly, with Stuart on the extended bench.
Stuart and Griffin are joined by Wales center Louie Hennessey (shoulder) and ex-England winger Tom Dunn on his return from injury, and the pair are among the replacements.
Starting their PREM Cup campaign with a 50-28 loss to Sale Last Sunday’s Sharks, Bath, decided to use their bye week in the competition to field a much stronger outfit.
Apart from star scrum-half Finn Russell, the backline could be the one to line up against Harlequins September 25 in the first round of the Gallagher Premiership.
Full-back Tom de Glanville and wings Henry Arundell and Joe Coknasiga form a familiar back-three combination, while Cam Redpath and Ollie Lawrence partner in the centres.
With captain and first-choice scrum-half Ben Spencer still sidelined with a shoulder injury, Tom Carr-Smith deputizes at nine, partnered at half-back by Ciaran Donoghue.
Miles Reid captains the openside side with new signing Dan du Preez lining up at number 8 and Arthur Green starting at six.
Quinn Roux and Ross Molony are very experienced in the second row, while Griffin has the loose Claudius Wheeler and the whore Dan Frost for company in the front row.
