Still looking at the market

Bath Rugby are still ‘looking at the market’ with an eye on bringing in an additional second-row option director of rugby Stuart Hooper has confirmed.

The official word from Bath is the club have the capacity within the salary cap to bring additional players into the squad for the 2021/22 and and they are working hard to do so.

The Blue, Black and White head into the 2021/22 season with just three specialists locks, one of whom - Josh Mcnally - is injured and has had surgery on his shoulder this summer, and another Charlie Ewels - who is also likely to be away with England during the Autumn internationals.

Ewels, who played both of England’s summer internationals and now has 23 caps, is in prime position to add to his tally in the Autumn with Wasps’ Joe Launchbury ruled out through injury until Christmas.

Hooper, who said earlier in the summer the club he is still looking to make a couple of new additions, discussed the situation at lock.

He said: “In the specialist [lock] column you would put Josh Mcnally, Charlie Ewels and Will Spencer, then Mike Williams has played lock for us previously and Ewan Richards - who has played first team for us already, those are our locks.

“I think those players are all outstanding players and in Ewan’s case and Josh Dingley’s case as well, outstanding prospects, but we are still looking in that area at the market to potentially bring someone in to cover the second-row position.”

With Will Chudley joining Worcester Warriors over the summer, Bath are also short of experienced options at scrum behind England international Ben Spencer with Ollie Fox, 22, and Max Green, 25, the senior options in the squad.

Hooper said: “It is an interesting one. With the lack of game time last year, ideally, we would have given the players more,

“Max got some game time with Jersey Reds in the Championship on loan, but ideally we would have given Ollie some more game time [in the Premiership Rugby Cup and in the Premiership Rugby Shield, but both competitions were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic].

“Tom Carr-smith is our academy nine who is doing fantastically well with England U20s and he is training well for us.

“We have got the numbers there, we would have loved Ollie and Max to have played more rugby last year but we have seen a lot from them and I have every confidence in those guys who have played Premiership rugby and played well for us, and they will get more of an opportunity this year for sure.

Hooper added: “There is always a moment where players need to step up and play and I think those guys are ready.”