Sam Underhill faces a worrying period of uncertainty regarding his fitness after sustaining a biceps injury during Bath’s 33-17 Gallagher Premiership victory over Harlequins. The injury could jeopardise his availability for England’s upcoming autumn internationals.
Underhill was on the field for 48 minutes in the season opener at The Stoop. This setback comes after he missed England’s July tour due to shoulder surgery, raising concerns over his ability to recover in time for the national side’s matches.
England, coached by Steve Borthwick, are scheduled to play Australia on November 8, marking the start of four Nations Championship fixtures in the month.
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Bath’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, commented on the injury, saying: “It seems like a biceps injury. Obviously, Sam will have to go for a scan. As we know, if the biceps is gone, that’s several months out. Hopefully we’ve got some grace there, but I guess we’ll know more next week.”
In another highlight from the match, Santi Carreras’s remarkable try was described by van Graan as Bath’s try of the season-even though it came on the very first night of the 2026-27 Premiership campaign.
The Argentinian star altered the course of play by intercepting a certain Harlequins try, then launching a dazzling counterattack that started just outside his own 22-metre line, culminating in a try that demonstrated exceptional skill and composure.
Van Graan praised Carreras’s performance, saying: “What a player, what a moment. From a try-scoring perspective, that was some moment in the game. He surprised us all in training last week with some incredible skill, so I smiled when he performed like that in the match.
“In my view, that’s going to be the try of the season for us, and it only took place in round one. His decision to use his foot first, then to delicately kick the ball up rather than down to keep it in play, showed incredible skill, as did his calm finish. We have some amazing players at our club, and he’s certainly one of them.”
Meanwhile, Harlequins were without several England players including Marcus Smith (hand), George Furbank (concussion), Fin Baxter (foot), and Alex Dombrandt (knee).
Smith may return for Saturday’s game at Gloucester, while Furbank is expected to be ready for the Kingsholm fixture. Baxter is anticipated to be sidelined for three to four weeks, and Dombrandt faces a longer recovery period.
Quins head coach Jason Gilmore expressed satisfaction with his team’s determination in their Premiership start. He said: “I’m really happy with the grit and fight they showed, especially in the second half. We endured some massive defensive sets on our goal line and withheld the pressure.
“However, I am frustrated because, despite creating many line breaks, we panicked towards the end of those opportunities and turned over too much ball, which allowed Bath to relieve the pressure.”