Bath to pick-pocket bitter rivals for international star?

Bath could switch their attention to raiding West Country rivals Gloucester as Johann van Graan steps up his search to bring a new full-back to The Rec for the start of next season.

Van Graan recently had talks with back-to-back Springbok World Cup winner Willie Le Roux, who is set to leave the Bulls this summer and not take up the option of an extra year on his contract.

The veteran star isn’t willing to commit himself to a move at this stage, however, and is waiting on lucrative offers from Japan Rugby League One to jump aboard the lucrative oriental gravy train.

Van Graan, who has been busy looking at his recruitment plans for next season, is now set to switch his attentions to closer-to-home and is keen to take Puma star Santi Carreras the 51 miles up the M5 from Kingsholm to the Rec.

Carreras, 26, hails from Cordoba in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas and is the first-choice fly-half for his country, but his four appearances for the Cherry and Whites this season have come at full-back.

He scored a brace of tries in the win over Premiership champions Northampton Saints three weeks ago to take his tally to 19 in the 72 games he has played since signing from former Super Rugby outfit Jaguares four years ago.

Carreras, who can also play on either wing, has scored eight tries in 53 appearances for his country and penned a new deal to remain with Gloucester in 2022, but Bath are now providing serious competition for his services.

He is one of three Pumas currently at Kingsholm alongside Matias Alemanno and Mayco Vivas and recovered from an operation to remove his appendix to play in the Challenge Cup Final defeat to the Sharks at the end of last season.

Bath face Benetton later today in the Investec Champions Cup.