Latest news with #WillStuart
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
British and Irish Lions face mounting tighthead problems as Zander Fagerson ruled out of tour
Sidelined: Scotland prop Zander Fagerson will play no part on the Lions tour to Australia due to a calf injury (Joe Giddens/PA Wire) The British and Irish Lions are facing mounting issues at tighthead ahead of their summer tour to Australia after Zander Fagerson withdrew from the squad. The Scottish prop was as expected named in Andy Farrell's initial 38-man touring party announced last month, expected to compete with Ireland stalwart Tadhg Furlong and England's Will Stuart for a starting Test berth Down Under. Advertisement However, the Lions announced on Monday that Fagerson, 29, had been ruled out of the entire tour with a calf injury as the rest of the squad - without the players set to feature in next weekend's Premiership and URC finals - assembled in Dublin before travelling to Portugal for a six-day training camp. The Glasgow front-rower has been replaced by Ireland and Connacht's Australian-born prop Finlay Bealham. The Irish Independent reported over the weekend that concerns were growing over Lions veteran Furlong's availability for the tour after an injury-plagued season in which he suffered the recurrence of a calf problem that limited him to just one appearance off the bench in the Six Nations. That could leave Bath star Stuart as the frontrunner for the No3 shirt for the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19. Advertisement He will be joined in Portugal by Jamie George, the England hooker and former captain who was among the most high-profile omissions from the original squad but had been expected to be added at a later date to join Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher and Luke Cowan-Dickie. Another new name linking up with the Lions in Portugal is Asher Opoku-Fordjour, the highly-rated young Sale Sharks tighthead who earned his first senior England cap against Japan in the autumn and will now hope to leave an impression on Farrell as his side prepare for their 1888 Cup clash with Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on June 20. 'It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the Tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group,' head coach Farrell said. 'This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that. 'But it's great to finally be at the stage where we can get onto the training ground and get to work with these players. 'Portugal will be really important for us as we look to get our house in order with only a few training sessions before we take on Argentina in the 1888 Cup in Dublin.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Finn Russell sets sights on Lions success after long-awaited title triumph with Bath
Clutching a bottle of lager deep in the bowels of Twickenham, the celebrations could at last begin for Finn Russell. For a decade the Scottish fly half had sought a second success to go along with the Pro 12 title won at Glasgow as a 22-year-old to no avail; after playing a starring role to snap Bath's own, longer wait for a title, this was a triumph he intended to enjoy. But only temporarily. On Monday, Russell will fly to Dublin to join up with the British and Irish Lions aiming to quickly shake off any lingering impacts of the final and its aftermath and get up to speed. It is a tight turnaround for Russell, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum and the large Leinster lot ahead of the touring side's first fixture against Argentina on Friday – while it is likely that most are not involved at the Aviva Stadium there will clearly be a need to hit the ground running. Advertisement 'I have not won much in my career,' Russell admitted, beer in hand, on Saturday night. 'The last time I won a title like this was 10 years ago and I want to enjoy it, that is important as well. If I go back home and just chill then you don't get the chance to appreciate what we have achieved. Bath are champions of England for the first time in nearly three decades (Getty Images) 'Bath haven't won one in 29 years; it is important to celebrate what you have done that season. It is not just one game today, it is the last 48 weeks we have been going to get to where we are now.' Russell's trophy hunt had rather embodied that of his nation, Scotland good but not good enough so often throughout his time wearing the thistle. If little of that was to do with their orchestrator-in-chief there were those – including Johnny Sexton, soon to be his Lions coach – who clearly felt the Scot's style outweighed his substance; the flash fur coat occasionally opened to reveal little underneath. At Bath, though, the 32-year-old appears to have grown into a well-rounded player, aided, of course, by a power-packed pack and, in Ben Spencer, a complementary scrum half and leader. Advertisement The impact of Johann van Graan on his career is clear, too. The Bath boss was just as vital as Bruce Craig's chequebook in luring Russell to the city, and perhaps contrasting characters have found themselves somewhat kindred spirits. 'Johann is amazing at his job, one of the best I have ever worked with in terms of bringing everyone together,' hailed Russell of the South African. 'The first time I met him, I think, was the November before I came. I chatted to Johann as a man. He said 'I know what you do on the pitch, I want to get to know you as a guy' That is what he is, he wants a team full of good men. Finn Russell has thrived at Bath (Getty Images) 'At Racing [92], we had brilliant players and coaches but I was chatting to Johann and the vision of where this club could get to was really exciting for me and that is why I came here. The city we are playing for, they give us that energy as well and Johann has brought it all together in a way I have never felt before. 'For me, as an individual, I came to England and I felt it was a different game here, a little bit more structure. As a player, it was brilliant to come here, and that different style of rugby. You come to big games like [the final], hopefully more to come, but to use that kicking game as a real threat is brilliant for me.' Advertisement That feeling of togetherness was on full display with Russell's gifting of a score to Max Ojomoh, son of club legend Steve and one of the homegrown stars thriving alongside the fly half. 'I could have scored it myself obviously,' Russell chuckled, before revealing a remarkable sense of clarity after a lung-busting surge of 60 metres as he explained why he had given a pass with the line in sight. Finn Russell (right) laid a try on a plate for Bath-born Max Ojomoh (David Davies/PA Wire) 'He is a young player from Bath, who has only ever been at Bath, and I would like to think scoring that in the final is a big thing for him. He said his dad never scored in the final so he has got one over him there – he just needs to get an England cap now.' The significant success of this season should be a perfect springboard for Russell to attack his time with the Lions. His past tours have been tough, in some ways, with the Geography Six saga of 2017 followed by the Covid-wrecked trip to South Africa in 2021 – having spoken previously of his eagerness to embrace the experience fully, the fly half hopes to thrive in Australia. Advertisement 'When you get to the Lions it is another level of intensity, it is the best of the best from Britain and Ireland. I am looking forward to the challenge, everyone is fighting for Test spots but it is not just getting in the Tests it is winning them as well. Finn Russell hopes to make the most of his time with the British and Irish Lions (Getty Images) 'Looking forward to the Lions, there are three Tests at the end of it, and they are effectively knockout games. Having knockout games is really important in terms of finding a way to win. It was tough game [against Leicester] and we weren't at our best but finding a way to win is really important.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Finn Russell sets sights on Lions success after long-awaited title triumph with Bath
Clutching a bottle of lager deep in the bowels of Twickenham, the celebrations could at last begin for Finn Russell. For a decade the Scottish fly half had sought a second success to go along with the Pro 12 title won at Glasgow as a 22-year-old to no avail; after playing a starring role to snap Bath's own, longer wait for a title, this was a triumph he intended to enjoy. But only temporarily. On Monday, Russell will fly to Dublin to join up with the British and Irish Lions aiming to quickly shake off any lingering impacts of the final and its aftermath and get up to speed. It is a tight turnaround for Russell, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum and the large Leinster lot ahead of the touring side's first fixture against Argentina on Friday – while it is likely that most are not involved at the Aviva Stadium there will clearly be a need to hit the ground running. 'I have not won much in my career,' Russell admitted, beer in hand, on Saturday night. 'The last time I won a title like this was 10 years ago and I want to enjoy it, that is important as well. If I go back home and just chill then you don't get the chance to appreciate what we have achieved. 'Bath haven't won one in 29 years; it is important to celebrate what you have done that season. It is not just one game today, it is the last 48 weeks we have been going to get to where we are now.' Russell's trophy hunt had rather embodied that of his nation, Scotland good but not good enough so often throughout his time wearing the thistle. If little of that was to do with their orchestrator-in-chief there were those – including Johnny Sexton, soon to be his Lions coach – who clearly felt the Scot's style outweighed his substance; the flash fur coat occasionally opened to reveal little underneath. At Bath, though, the 32-year-old appears to have grown into a well-rounded player, aided, of course, by a power-packed pack and, in Ben Spencer, a complementary scrum half and leader. The impact of Johann van Graan on his career is clear, too. The Bath boss was just as vital as Bruce Craig's chequebook in luring Russell to the city, and perhaps contrasting characters have found themselves somewhat kindred spirits. 'Johann is amazing at his job, one of the best I have ever worked with in terms of bringing everyone together,' hailed Russell of the South African. 'The first time I met him, I think, was the November before I came. I chatted to Johann as a man. He said 'I know what you do on the pitch, I want to get to know you as a guy' That is what he is, he wants a team full of good men. 'At Racing [92], we had brilliant players and coaches but I was chatting to Johann and the vision of where this club could get to was really exciting for me and that is why I came here. The city we are playing for, they give us that energy as well and Johann has brought it all together in a way I have never felt before. 'For me, as an individual, I came to England and I felt it was a different game here, a little bit more structure. As a player, it was brilliant to come here, and that different style of rugby. You come to big games like [the final], hopefully more to come, but to use that kicking game as a real threat is brilliant for me.' That feeling of togetherness was on full display with Russell's gifting of a score to Max Ojomoh, son of club legend Steve and one of the homegrown stars thriving alongside the fly half. 'I could have scored it myself obviously,' Russell chuckled, before revealing a remarkable sense of clarity after a lung-busting surge of 60 metres as he explained why he had given a pass with the line in sight. 'He is a young player from Bath, who has only ever been at Bath, and I would like to think scoring that in the final is a big thing for him. He said his dad never scored in the final so he has got one over him there – he just needs to get an England cap now.' The significant success of this season should be a perfect springboard for Russell to attack his time with the Lions. His past tours have been tough, in some ways, with the Geography Six saga of 2017 followed by the Covid-wrecked trip to South Africa in 2021 – having spoken previously of his eagerness to embrace the experience fully, the fly half hopes to thrive in Australia. 'When you get to the Lions it is another level of intensity, it is the best of the best from Britain and Ireland. I am looking forward to the challenge, everyone is fighting for Test spots but it is not just getting in the Tests it is winning them as well. 'Looking forward to the Lions, there are three Tests at the end of it, and they are effectively knockout games. Having knockout games is really important in terms of finding a way to win. It was tough game [against Leicester] and we weren't at our best but finding a way to win is really important.'
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Premiership semi-final: Bristol lead at West Country rivals Bath
Update: Date: 13 mins Title: Penalty Content: Bath 0-3 Bristol Bristol strike first as they work the ball in from the right after a break from Noah Heward and win a penalty infront of the posts which is meat and drink for AJ MacGinty. Update: Date: 11 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol First glimpse of Bath's ability with ball in hand as the ball is worked wide right to Tom de Glanville, but he runs out of space and his hopeful chip forward is straight to AJ MacGinty who calls a mark and relieves the pressure. Update: Date: 10 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol It's already apparent that Bath do not want to allow their visitors to build up a head of steam and start working the ball around... they have taken a couple of opportunities to launch the ball into touch in midfield to reset and regroup already, the latest from Tom de Glanville. Update: Date: 7 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Ellis Genge is a proud Bristol boy and you can see how much this means to him in his 60th appearance for the Bears. He is in the middle of everything but he also needs to keep a lid on his emotions. He's up against his potential Lions team-mate Will Stuart in the scrum tonight, with double World Cup winner Thomas du Toit on the bench for Bath. Update: Date: 19:53 BST Title: 'Really poor play from Bristol' Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Gareth ChilcottEx-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol That is the worst possible start for Bristol. Completely out of order. Maybe it's the nerves but it was really poor play. It's silly to give away a reversal penalty in a really tight game early on. They're on the rack now. Update: Date: 5 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Wave after wave of pressure from Bath within five metres of the Bears line, but the visitors' defence stands firm, for now... Ellis Genge is in the middle of everything and manages to hold the ball up as the hosts try to get over the line and the Bears are able to clear their lines and catch their breath. Update: Date: 3 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Full-blooded start as Bath kicked into touch on halfway from their own 22, Bristol win the lineout and secure a penalty in midfield but now the heated Ellis Genge has talked his way into trouble with ref Christophe Ridley awarding the hosts a penalty allowing the hosts to kick towards the Bristol 22. Update: Date: 1 min Title: Kick-off Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Away we go... the Bears get us under way, playing in white and black tonight, whereas Bath are in their familiar black, blue and white. Twickenham awaits for one of these sides... Update: Date: 19:44 BST Title: Post Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Right, up to speed? Good... the players are on the field at the Rec, packed to the rafters, and kick-off is moments away. We've had fireworks off the pitch, let's start them on it. Update: Date: 19:44 BST Title: 'There will be lot of nerves tonight' Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Gareth ChilcottEx-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol It's a massive game for both clubs and it's a game of contrasts. We have a brilliant game in store for us. There'll be lot of nerves tonight. Update: Date: 19:43 BST Title: Three changes for Bears Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) England prop Ellis Genge returns to the Bristol starting line-up having missed last weekend's victory over Harlequins through injury. Genge is one of three changes to Pat Lam's pack with lock James Dun and flanker Steven Luatua also back - Yann Thomas, Pedro Rubiolo and Santiago Grondona drop out - while the backline remains unchanged. Bristol boss Lam confirmed on Wednesday that Lions selection Genge and Dun had overcome knocks picked up in training while Luatua is preferred to Argentine international Grondona, who scored twice in Bristol's victory at Bath earlier this season, at blind-side. Lock Joe Batley, selected in the Premiership Team of the Season, joins Dun in the second row with Fitz Harding leading the team from open-side. The experienced AJ MacGinty starts at fly-half alongside scrum-half Harry Randall while South African Bernhard Janse van Rensburg and James Williams are the centre pairing. Wing Gabriel Ibitoye, the Premiership's joint top try-scorer this season with 13, is joined by Fijian flyer Kalaveti Ravouvou and Noah Heward in the back three. Bristol: Heward; Ravouvou, Van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska, Dun, Batley, Luatua, Harding (c), Mata. Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Lahiff, Rubiolo, Grondola, Marmion, Byrne, Bates. Update: Date: 19:42 BST Title: All change for Bath Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bath boss Johann van Graan unsurprisingly names an entirely different XV to the second-string team that started the 36-26 defeat at Saracens last Saturday. Guy Pepper starts at open-side flanker in place of the suspended Sam Underhill while Ted Hill makes his 50th appearance for the club at blind-side and Alfie Barbeary completes the back row at number eight with Miles Reid on the bench. Springboks prop Thomas Du Toit, named in the Premiership Team of the Season, starts on the bench for Bath with director of rugby Johann van Graan opting for England and British and Irish Lions selection Will Stuart (pictured) at tight-head. Captain Ben Spencer and Finn Russell are restored at half-back while Max Ojomoh partners Scotland international Cameron Redpath at centre and Will Muir, Joe Cokanasiga and Tom De Glanville make up the back three. Another Team of the Season pick, hooker Tom Dunn, and Beno Obano join Stuart in the front row with the established duo of Quinn Roux and Charlie Ewels making up the second row and flanker Josh Bayliss among six forwards on the bench. Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Barbeary. Replacements: Annett, van Wyk, Du Toit, Molony, Reid, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Bayliss. Update: Date: 19:40 BST Title: 'Bristol won't fear the task' Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Sophie HurcomBBC Sport at The Rec As soon as Bristol's fourth place in the Premiership was confirmed last Saturday, director of rugby Pat Lam was speaking about the Bears' record against their neighbours Bath. Lam and Bristol will be under no illusions about the challenge they face against Bath this evening, but they definitely won't fear the task in front of them. Since Johann van Graan took over Bath in July 2022, Bristol have beaten them five out of six times they have met in the Premiership – including the double this season. That being said, Gloucester boss George Skivington said in April that beating Bath at the Rec was one of the 'biggest challenges' in European rugby at the moment. If Bristol can win tonight and book that place in the Twickenham final, it will surely go down as one of their greatest victories. Update: Date: 19:38 BST Title: Ewels wary of Bears threat Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bath lock Charlie Ewels is wary of the threat of Bristol, having lost twice to their west country rivals in the regular season. Bristol prevailed 36-26 at the Rec in October before running-out 36-14 winners at the Principality Stadium last month. "They're a very good team, that's what I've taken from those matches, he said. "Obviously there's an extra level as it's a derby around the fans. "We've played them a few times this season - in the cup, twice in the league. At Cardiff we played different teams against them. "They will be very well prepped, we'll be very well prepped and we'll be really looking forward to it." Ewels has emphasised his side's need to "trust the process", a similar mantra coined by his coach last month, in order for Bath to go one step further and win the Premiership on 14 June to complete an historic treble. Update: Date: 19:36 BST Title: 'Dream game' for Bears boss Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bristol Bears' Premiership semi-final against Bath has been described as a "dream game" by director of rugby Pat Lam. Lam's side go into tonight's match as underdogs having finished the season fourth, 14 points behind their local rivals in the regular season standings. However, a league double over Bath this season backs up Lam's notion that his side "know how to beat Bath" - a defiant claim made following his side's 52-26 victory against Harlequins which confirmed Bears' play-off spot. "We're proud of that record, but it's the next one that counts," Lam told BBC Radio Bristol. "We've never played a derby game as a semi-final and for us we've never been in a final. It is the dream game really. "There's so much interest in it. We've already picked that up from both sets of supporters. There's good banter going back and forth. "Our goal was never to just get in the top four though; this is just the first stage," Lam added. Update: Date: 19:34 BST Title: Bath boss urges side to keep discipline Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan has urged his side to keep their discipline in their Premiership semi-final against Bristol on Friday. Van Graan's side finished the regular season with 72 points, 11 points clear at the top of the Premiership standings, and 14 clear of fourth-placed Bristol. But the South African is wary of the threat Bath's local rivals pose, having lost twice to the Bears in the league this season already. "This is our third semi-final we've played this season and I'll just say the usual - make sure you're disciplined, stick to what you do and make sure you perform on the day," Van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol. It has been a historic season in many ways already for Bath, having already completed a cup double by winning the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup - ending a drought of 17 years without a trophy. Update: Date: 19:32 BST Title: Play-off coaches on season finale Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Chris JonesBBC rugby union correspondent English rugby's top coaches say they are determined to revel in the pressure of leading their sides into do-or-die Premiership semi-finals this weekend. "If you can't love this, then get another job," says Bath's Johann van Graan. After 18 rounds of the regular campaign, two sides will emerge from this weekend to reach the final on 14 June at a sold-out Twickenham, with Leicester hosting Sale on Saturday. In a special Rugby Union Weekly podcast, we were joined exclusively by all four of the men plotting to lead their team to Premiership glory, just days before the biggest game of their season. Pat Lam of Bristol said: "I use that word 'privilege'. When you look at the Champions League final, PSG winning 5-0, that is a team that decided to go out and enjoy themselves. "Every time I have these moments I feel just privileged to be here and feel lucky to be doing what we do." Van Graan added: "This game is not about fear. This game is about attacking it - and may the best team win. "What would the world be without sport? I'm privileged to be part of it and part of a team that wants to achieve. "And if we want to get to the next stage, we've got to get past a very good team on Friday night." Update: Date: 19:30 BST Title: Who will survive Western shootout? Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Welcome to your weekend... boy, do we have a treat in store for you under the Friday night lights! It's the business end of the Premiership season and tonight will see the first semi-final as table-topping Bath welcome a dangerous Bristol Bears side to the Rec. A place in the Twickenham final next weekend is at stake, with Leicester and Sale set to face off on Saturday to decide who will face tonight's winners. The Rec is a perfect setting for this showdown between two free-scoring sides on what might eventually end up being a wet and windy night in the wild west. Kick-off is 15 minutes away so let's quickly bring you up to speed...
