Bath Rugby head coach Johann van Graan has revealed that star England centre Ollie Lawrence will miss the upcoming match against Saracens due to a hamstring injury sustained during Autumn international duty. Lawrence is expected to be sidelined for at least several weeks, ruling him out not only for the Gallagher Premiership fixture on Sunday but potentially the first rounds of the Investec Champions Cup as well.
Bath, who are eyeing a strong campaign in both domestic and European competitions, kick off their European tour with a home game against Munster, followed by a visit to Toulon. The club aims to break the recent French dominance in the Champions Cup, which has seen French clubs claim the title for the past five seasons.
Despite Lawrence’s absence, van Graan can still call upon a strong midfield with Scotland internationals Cam Redpath and Chris Harris, as well as the impressive Max Ojomoh, who earned player of the match honours during England’s recent win over Argentina. Reliable squad member Will Butt will also bolster the centre options.
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However, Bath face further uncertainty in the pack as tighthead prop Will Stuart is also a doubt following an injury sustained late in Sunday’s international match, and flanker Guy Pepper is currently away on holiday in Dubai. Van Graan confirmed these updates ahead of the Saracens trip, stating, “Will Stuart took a bang at the weekend, so we will be cautious before deciding on his availability. Guy is currently away, but we have a good squad to manage the workload.”
Adding to the encouraging news, fly-half Finn Russell has returned to full training after his international duties with Scotland, and Argentinian Santi Carreras is back at Farleigh House following a standout bench performance helping Argentina defeat Scotland.
Van Graan emphasized the importance of player welfare during this busy fixture period, explaining his decision to grant players international rest breaks. “Every player who participated in the Autumn internationals is given a week away from training or matches. This approach applies regardless of how many Test matches they played and is unique to our club,” he said, underscoring Bath’s commitment to maintaining peak player fitness throughout the season.
With a deep and talented roster, Bath Rugby remain confident in their ability to compete on multiple fronts despite the current injury setbacks as they prepare to face Saracens and embark on a promising European campaign.