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Sam Underhill touch and go for start of Premiership season

Bath's Sam Underhill celebrates (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)

England and Bath flanker Sam Underhill has undergone “a small ankle procedure” and is facing a race against time to be fit for the Premiership opener against Northampton at The Rec on 20 September.

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Speaking at the club’s pre-season supporters’ day on Friday, attended by hundreds of fans, Bath’s Head of Rugby Johann van Graan gave an extensive lowdown on the squad’s bill of health, including an update on Underhill who had a fantastic season for club and country in 2023/24.

“We are looking after a few players that have come back from international rugby,” the South African confirmed. “Sam Underhill will be a few weeks away. We looked at his ankle, and he has had a small procedure on his ankle, so he’ll be back around the start of the season, no timeline on that.”

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    Coach Paul Gustard is full of praise for Racing 92 signing Owen Farrell

    Injury-plagued cross-code winger Regan Grace faces a much longer wait to run out in the blue, black and white, however.

    Grace injured his hamstring whilst playing for Wales against Queensland Reds this summer and needed surgery and van Graan anticipates that it could be three months before the former St Helens star is back.

    “Regan got operated on and has started with his rehab. There is no specific timeframe but end of November/December would be potentially when he comes back,” he stated.

    “I think the most important thing about Regan is he wants to get back quickly, he has a taste of international rugby, he has had a small bite for us against Gloucester and Leinster, and how good was he.

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    “So he is raring to be back and I an really looking forward to seeing regna play in a Bath jersey this season.”

    Scotland international Cam Redpath’s recovery from shoulder surgery is going according to plan, and new signing Guy Pepper, the former Newcastle openside, is also progressing well.

    Van Graan confirmed: “Cam is still a few weeks away but he is bang on par in terms of his recovery. Guy Pepper is in most of the training now so you’ll see him somewhere in the training block.”

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    J
    JW 52 minutes ago
    Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

    I’m not sure where that’s going but does it raise a valid point? Yes would be the answer you’re angling for?


    It was (on air here) last year, but not this year. I haven’t seen why, my guess was that it’s because no English version comes out from the “closed off billionaires league” and they couldn’t get an english one. I think they have to get it from the UK broadcasters and maybe that market changed this year?


    The quality of it wasn’t my point, purely correlation of those performances to ones at home. He is the only one over there, there was no marker for ABs to valuate from. He wasn’t a solid choice, in that you knew what you were getting, he was still more of a sensation in the All Blacks, and he was playing a different position.


    Those are just direct points to counter JBs thoughts. I’m not saying they were used in any way (I think theyd have to be part of why NZR have the current eligibility rules though), this situation was simply a matter of starting at the back of the class if you’re not here. Only vets can earn sabbaticals (which is essentially what people are asking for in this case). There’s no argument this isn’t the right call.


    As with the topic in the above paragraph, we could go on and on about it, but I will say I did see after the fact the final was broadcast FTA (no that I’d watch live, still have yet to watch the replay) straight off mondos website (im guessing it was a laggy pos tho), which is/was good. I also wanted to watch Brad Weber and Lester last year (start of the season) so went on line for a few (and tried to catch Max Hicks), that Brad was fabulous, Lester less so. Lester was also less that good in this international window. So I did see enough to know they are very different games, and I can tell it’s going to take him a while to get on his feet here again.

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