Bath Rugby is gearing up for Friday’s pivotal Champions Cup match against Edinburgh Rugby with encouraging injury news. The game, which will determine the top spot in Pool 2, sees Bath currently leading by just one point following victories over Munster and Castres Olympique.
In a Tuesday press briefing, Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan revealed that England flanker Sam Underhill and centre Ollie Lawrence have returned to full training after missing the recent Castres trip due to knocks sustained in the narrow win against Exeter Chiefs. Both players are now available for selection.
Van Graan stated, “Sam and Ollie have just finished their training session and are both available for selection. Ewan Richards and Charlie Ewels remain sidelined but there are no new updates on their conditions.”
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Richards is recovering from an ankle injury sustained in a December match against Newcastle, while Ewels has been out since early December due to a leg infection. Encouragingly, Ewels has been back at Bath’s training ground, Farleigh House, and is off crutches, though his recovery will still take several weeks.
Van Graan also shared an update on other injured players: “It was great to have Will Stuart at Farleigh this week, even if he was on crutches with a mobility device. Regarding Josh Bayliss, he has some stiffness following the Castres match, so we’ll reassess his availability as the week progresses.”
As Bath aims to secure a home advantage for the round of 16 and quarter-finals by finishing top of Pool 2, the return of key players Underhill and Lawrence could prove decisive in their Champions Cup campaign.