Rugby World Cup 2027: Bath have confirmed that England and British & Irish Lions prop Will Stuart is facing a long and difficult recovery after rupturing his Achilles tendon. The tight-head prop suffered a serious injury during Bath’s Champions Cup victory over Munster on Saturday evening.
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Early in the second half, Stuart went down awkwardly and had to leave the field immediately. And Bath coach Johan van Graan made it clear after the match that the club feared the worst. Sadly, those fears have now been realised. Van Graan explained that Stuart will need surgery in the coming weeks.
And warned that the recovery from an Achilles rupture is especially demanding, particularly for a front-row forward. He’ll get operated on somewhere in the next few weeks, and unfortunately, with an Achilles, there’s a long road ahead, Van Graan told the BBC. Every injury is different, but for a prop, just think about the amount of load that goes through your legs.
Stuart, who has earned 53 England caps, along with three Lions Test caps. During their tour of Australia this summer, they are now certain to miss the remainder of the 2025–26 season.
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Losing such an experienced tight-head is a significant setback, and Van Graan acknowledged the emotional weight of the situation. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, but once it’s an Achilles, an ACL. A big neck injury that takes people away from rugby for a long time it’s never nice to see.
The Bath coach called the injury gutting, emphasising Stuart’s importance to both the squad’s culture and recent success. He’s such a big part of what we do and what we’ve achieved. The positive is that he’s got an amazing group of staff, players, and family around him. And we’ll go through that journey with him every step of the way.
The news hits hard for both club and country. Stuart played a vital role in Bath’s treble-winning season last year and has continued that strong form in the current campaign. For England, he has become their most seasoned tight-head prop, offering stability in one of the most demanding positions in the sport.
His absence creates a major challenge as England prepares for a year packed with high-stakes fixtures and rebuilding efforts. Meanwhile, South African lock Eben Etzebeth has spoken publicly for the first time since receiving a 12-week suspension for an eye-gouging incident against Wales. The Springbok star, who has nearly 150 caps and had never before been sent off in a Test match.
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Used Instagram to share his perspective and take responsibility while offering context for what happened. Etzebeth was shown a red card during South Africa’s final match of the year, with the scoreboard reading an astonishing 73–0 at the time.
In his post, he wrote, I’ve been quiet, but now that my hearing is done, I think I owe everyone an explanation. First of all, this is not a post to show that I was not guilty. I accept guilt. I made a mistake, and I’m willing to serve a suspension, which I deserve. He added that he did not want young fans who look up to the Springboks to believe that eye gouging is acceptable.
It’s not, he emphasised, but mistakes happen, and I made a big one for which I’m sorry. Etzebeth included video clips showing the moment from his perspective. Explaining that he was reacting instinctively to what he thought was a hand to his own face and neck.
And that he never intended to contact Alex Mann’s eyes. He concluded, I posted this to show people how everything happened and that it was never intentional. I would never do something like this on purpose. I know what the consequences are after playing rugby for so many years.
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