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Henry Arundell lined up for early England homecoming
By Neil Fissler
Bath have lined up a shock deal to lure former England full-back Henry Arundell back to the Gallagher Premiership next season from exile in France with Racing 92.
Arundell, 22, has been playing in France since the demise of London Irish in June 2023 and is due to be under contract until 2026 after penning a long-term extension shortly after arriving in the French capital.
Bath have had a long-term interest in signing Arundell, who was educated in the former Roman Spa City at Beechen Cliff School before his former army officer father Ralph got a job at Harrow School, securing him a place.
They were interested in signing him last December along with West Country rivals Gloucester, while NRL sides the Wests Tigers and Queensland-based the Dolphins also had a close look, but he opted to stay in France.
RugbyPass understand from sources in the French capital that Bath have reignited their interest in Arundell who could be offered a hybrid RFU contract from England boss Steve Borthwick if he returns from the Top 14 next season.
Borthwick can award 25 enhanced contracts worth around £150k a season, but they only gave out 17 before England kicked off their four-match Autumn Nations Series against the All Blacks.
Arundell started this season strongly, scoring tries in Racing’s opening two games against Castres and Clermont Auvergne but hasn’t crossed the line in his last seven games in all competitions.
He scored 15 tries for club and country last season, including five for England in their World Cup hammering of minnows Chile and a hat-trick on his Top 14 debut against Toulon at the Stade Mayol.
Arundell would solve a massive problem for Bath, who have been looking to recruit a big-name full-back for next season and have had talks with veteran Springbok Willie Le Roux, while Gloucester’s Santi Carreras has been linked.
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Latest Comments
No because if it was a 1:1 correspondence it would have been 10 top14, 3 URC and 3 Prem. I did arbitrarily put a max limit per league at 8 because for me if half of the teams are from the top14 it will make no sense. I genuinely didn't think the discussion will go that way tbh as for me it is a details.
Go to commentsFoster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
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