Will Stuart
NAME: Will Stuart
DOB: 12/06/1996
POSITION: Prop
CLUB: Bath
ENGLAND CAPS: 50
A late developer, Stuart was a bit-part player at Wasps for several seasons until a move to Bath in 2019 kick-started his career.
Now well established as England's first choice tighthead, Stuart won his 50th cap in England's hammering of Wales in Cardiff on the final round of the 2025 Six Nations, scoring his third Test try that afternoon.
A Premiership finalist with Bath in 2024, he was part of the team that won the EPCR Challenge Cup in May 2025.
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The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
'Andy put it to bed' - Russell happy to be working with Sexton
FINN RUSSELL SAID that Lions boss Andy Farrell quickly dealt with any potentially troublesome feelings between the Scotland out-half and assistant coach Johnny Sexton this week. Sexton questioned Russell's credentials as the Lions out-half last autumn before he had joined Ireland and then the Lions as an assistant coach to Farrell. But speaking ahead of the Lions' departure for Australia today, Russell said there are no ill feelings and that he has even enjoyed training alongside the former Ireland out-half this week. 'It's just a bit of a craic,' said Russell. 'It was never a thing, almost. 'When we came in, we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed, so that was good. Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. 'We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing because with the numbers we've had, he's had to jump in sometimes. Advertisement 'So it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him.' Russell was one of the late arrivers in Lions camp this week because he was involved in Bath's Premiership final win over Leicester last weekend. Having also guided Johann van Graan's men to a Challenge Cup title this season, Russell was delighted to have the chance to celebrate back in Bath before joining the Lions on Monday. 'It was good fun,' he said. 'I think we all turned up to Bath on the bus coming back from London and it was pretty quiet. The streets didn't really have anyone on it and we were sort of laughing as if no one's really come. Russell with Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier, and Bundee Aki. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 'Then two hours later, they were packed. It was really cool actually. I've only won something with Glasgow and it was very different celebrations after that. Coming now from a city that's a rugby city, it was really cool to win a title for them.' This is Russell's third involvement in a Lions tour, albeit he only briefly featured in New Zealand in 2017 after being one of the infamous 'Geography 6′ call-ups. He was part of the 2021 squad in South Africa, but an Achilles injury meant he missed the first two Tests before making a big impact off the bench in the third clash with the Springboks. This summer, he's many people's favourite to be the starting Lions out-half in Australia. Fin Smith got first shot in the number 10 shirt last night against Argentina, but Russell seems likely to start next Saturday against the Western Force in Perth. 'It was still amazing [in 2017] because it was my first time being called up to the Lions,' said Russell. 'We weren't there for the whole tour, obviously, but I think to have gone there and played in the first one was really cool for me. 'And then in 2021, it was special going the whole time even though it was Covid. Obviously we couldn't have family and friends or fans at the game but it was still amazing in probably a different way. 'In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel and whatnot, but I think both experiences are different in good ways. 'So I'm looking forward to what this one's going to be like.'
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Finn Russell addresses relationship with Johnny Sexton after Lions meet up
Andy Farrell met the potential for any trouble head on between Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell when the Scotland out-half came into Lions camp. However Russell insists there was no need for an intervention as the duo buried any potential past issues ahead of the Lions' clash with Argentina in Dublin on Friday night. The duo were on-pitch rivals at club and Test level - in fact, Russell succeeded Sexton as Racing's No.10 in Paris. Russell was picked ahead of Sexton for the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa and, in his autobiography last year, the Dubliner claimed that the Scot's 'darling of the media' status was instrumental in Warren Gatland making that choice. In an interview after the book's publication, Sexton stated that he would pick Owen Farrell over Russell for this summer's tour. 'Who do you want in there when the going gets tough? Test-match animals,' claimed the Leinster and Ireland great. 'I know who the media would want. Finn Russell, Marcus Smith, the flashy…'. Sexton has now moved into full-time coaching and is on the Lions tour - where he will work directly with Russell as a kicking coach - addressed his previous comments this week, claiming they were blown out of proportion. 'I was talking about myself in 2021 and how I felt back then," he said. 'It was more really what I thought Gatland was thinking as opposed to what I was thinking. But look, you have to deal with these types of challenges and it won't be the last time'. Russell rocked into Lions camp at the start of the week after guiding Bath to the Premiership title last Saturday. Speaking at UCD on Friday before heading to the Aviva Stadium to watch the Lions' opener against Argentina, the 32-year-old dismissed any question of a rift or tension between Sexton and him. 'No, no, it's just a bit of a craic," he said. "It was never a thing, almost. When we came in we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good. Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. 'We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. "I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing because, with the numbers we've had, he's had to jump in sometimes. So it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him.' Asked if Sexton had let rip at him on the pitch yet, Russell replied: 'No, not at all. It's good to have a guy with experience here. I can chat to him and bounce things off him as and when I need. All the coaches seem open to have conversations and have chats. It's a good environment to be in." Russell was part of the Lions squad that flew from Dublin to Perth this morning ahead of their first game in Australia against Western Force next Saturday. It's his first proper Lions tour experience after he was called up by Gatland in New Zealand as one of the 'Geography 6' - players used for a couple of pre-Test fixtures to keep under wraps Sexton and other frontliners. Scotland were touring Australia at the time, and Wales were in New Zealand - so Gatland called up half a dozen players, with Russell just experiencing five minutes off the bench against the Hurricanes. The 2019 tour to South Africa was undertaken under Covid restrictions and the games were played in front of no fans, and Russell came on in the final Test - playing for almost 70 minutes as Dan Biggar's replacement. '2017 was still amazing because it was my first time being called up to the Lions," he said. "We weren't there for the whole tour, obviously, but I think to have gone there and played in my first one was really cool for me. 'Then in 2021 it was special going the whole time, even though it was Covid, obviously we couldn't have family and friends or fans at the game, but it was still amazing in probably a different way. "In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel. Both experiences are different but in good ways. So, I'm looking forward to what this one's going to be like. 'As a group, we've set our own standards of what we want to do on this tour and how we want to be remembered. It's going out there and being ourselves. I enjoy doing that. We've spoken about what we want to be and who we represent.'
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'It's funny being on the same side as him' - No lingering Lions tension for Russell and Sexton
Any suggestion that Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell might have trouble coming together as parts of the same team would have been cut short last week when the British and Irish Lions went about their business at the UCD Bowl. Opposing tens for so many years with Ireland and Scotland, Sexton had retired by the time he spoke publicly about the 'flashy' nature of the Bath out-half and how Owen Farrell would be his own preference for a Lions playmaker. That was before his appointment as an assistant coach with a Lions squad whose most experienced out-half is none other than Russel. So, Sexton was keen to dismiss the import of those words when facing the media in Dublin last week. Blown out of proportion, he said. That old chestnut. In truth, this was absolutely a potential source of angst and awkwardness in a camp that has little time to bring disparate personalities and erstwhile enemies together for a tour on the opposite side of the world and at the fag end of a long season. Word has it that Andy Farrell went about lancing any possible boil by addressing it in front of the wider squad. Whatever was said, or not, Russell is adamant that the two of them have found themselves on the same page, on and off the field. 'It was never a thing almost,' said the 32-year old. 'When we came in we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good. Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. 'We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing because with the numbers we've had he's had to jump in sometimes. 'So it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him.' That assimilation is key to every Lions tour. There are a record 18 Irish players in the squad, two-thirds of those from the one province, while the likes of Northampton Saints and Glasgow Warriors are supplying their own fair shares to the travelling party. That Irish core has been buttressed in the coaching staff and in the various support departments. Farrell has always been credited with a high level of emotional intelligence, though, so any barriers should be overcome. 'I wouldn't say there's barriers,' said Russell. 'Players are going to have players they're more friendly with. If you've got a pair of old Leinster boys you know each other very well. I know the Scottish boys and English guys know the English guys and Welsh are the same. 'You're always going to get these pockets where you're more comfortable with each other but over the last few days it seems like everyone's mixing really well. When you get into it you become a team so quickly. For us coming in this week you saw the boys had relationships and that was all built from last week in Portugal. 'It does change so quickly and you build these relationships so quickly. Whether they're an Irish set up or an English, Scottish or whatever it is, I don't think it makes too much of a difference. We're all here with the same goal and trying to pull in the same direction.' Russell flew into Dublin on the back of Bath's Premiership title in 29 years and one that sealed a treble thanks to the already claimed Premiership Cup and Challenge Cup trophies. All that and a new three-year deal with the West Country club. Fin Smith is a superb out-half who did fine against Argentina on Friday. Marcus Smith started that one at full-back and seems third in line for the No.10 short as things stand. Russell is also the only one who has worn this shade of red before. Part of the controversial 'Geography Six' called up towards the end of the 2017 tour to New Zealand, he travelled from the off four years later in South Africa and produced the first real dash of the tour when finally given his Test shot ten minutes into the final game. This really should be his time. Farrell has talked about the later arrivals having to play catch-up and he has no problem with that after celebrating Bath's triumph last weekend and joining the Lions party only last Monday. New playbook, different words, unfamiliar faces. That's just the gig. Friday's opener against the Pumas, regardless of the disappointment with the result and collective performance, was always going to help in getting people on the same page, but it might be a few more runs before we can figure out what sort of rugby team this Lions outfit will be. Tommy Freeman has voiced an intent to play on a side that plays heads-up rugby and scores plenty of tries. Well, as a winger, he would. The reality can be more pragmatic for the game's most famous tourists, but what does Russell see as the 'Lions way'? 'I wouldn't say there's a typical Lions way. That would depend on the coach," he replied. "With Andy there and the coaching staff we've got here, it's hopefully going to be a free-flowing, fast style of rugby we're going to play. There's obviously a lot of structure in there but then at times if there's no structure we're happy to play unstructured rugby as well. 'So it's getting that balance of using structure to create unstructured, and then go from there. It's just different types of coaching. I wouldn't say there's a Lions way of playing. It depends on the coach, it depends on the players.'
