Latest news with #WillStuart
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Premiership semi-final: Bristol lead at West Country rivals Bath
Update: Date: 13 mins Title: Penalty Content: Bath 0-3 Bristol Bristol strike first as they work the ball in from the right after a break from Noah Heward and win a penalty infront of the posts which is meat and drink for AJ MacGinty. Update: Date: 11 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol First glimpse of Bath's ability with ball in hand as the ball is worked wide right to Tom de Glanville, but he runs out of space and his hopeful chip forward is straight to AJ MacGinty who calls a mark and relieves the pressure. Update: Date: 10 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol It's already apparent that Bath do not want to allow their visitors to build up a head of steam and start working the ball around... they have taken a couple of opportunities to launch the ball into touch in midfield to reset and regroup already, the latest from Tom de Glanville. Update: Date: 7 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Ellis Genge is a proud Bristol boy and you can see how much this means to him in his 60th appearance for the Bears. He is in the middle of everything but he also needs to keep a lid on his emotions. He's up against his potential Lions team-mate Will Stuart in the scrum tonight, with double World Cup winner Thomas du Toit on the bench for Bath. Update: Date: 19:53 BST Title: 'Really poor play from Bristol' Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Gareth ChilcottEx-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol That is the worst possible start for Bristol. Completely out of order. Maybe it's the nerves but it was really poor play. It's silly to give away a reversal penalty in a really tight game early on. They're on the rack now. Update: Date: 5 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Wave after wave of pressure from Bath within five metres of the Bears line, but the visitors' defence stands firm, for now... Ellis Genge is in the middle of everything and manages to hold the ball up as the hosts try to get over the line and the Bears are able to clear their lines and catch their breath. Update: Date: 3 mins Title: Post Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Full-blooded start as Bath kicked into touch on halfway from their own 22, Bristol win the lineout and secure a penalty in midfield but now the heated Ellis Genge has talked his way into trouble with ref Christophe Ridley awarding the hosts a penalty allowing the hosts to kick towards the Bristol 22. Update: Date: 1 min Title: Kick-off Content: Bath 0-0 Bristol Away we go... the Bears get us under way, playing in white and black tonight, whereas Bath are in their familiar black, blue and white. Twickenham awaits for one of these sides... Update: Date: 19:44 BST Title: Post Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Right, up to speed? Good... the players are on the field at the Rec, packed to the rafters, and kick-off is moments away. We've had fireworks off the pitch, let's start them on it. Update: Date: 19:44 BST Title: 'There will be lot of nerves tonight' Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Gareth ChilcottEx-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol It's a massive game for both clubs and it's a game of contrasts. We have a brilliant game in store for us. There'll be lot of nerves tonight. Update: Date: 19:43 BST Title: Three changes for Bears Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) England prop Ellis Genge returns to the Bristol starting line-up having missed last weekend's victory over Harlequins through injury. Genge is one of three changes to Pat Lam's pack with lock James Dun and flanker Steven Luatua also back - Yann Thomas, Pedro Rubiolo and Santiago Grondona drop out - while the backline remains unchanged. Bristol boss Lam confirmed on Wednesday that Lions selection Genge and Dun had overcome knocks picked up in training while Luatua is preferred to Argentine international Grondona, who scored twice in Bristol's victory at Bath earlier this season, at blind-side. Lock Joe Batley, selected in the Premiership Team of the Season, joins Dun in the second row with Fitz Harding leading the team from open-side. The experienced AJ MacGinty starts at fly-half alongside scrum-half Harry Randall while South African Bernhard Janse van Rensburg and James Williams are the centre pairing. Wing Gabriel Ibitoye, the Premiership's joint top try-scorer this season with 13, is joined by Fijian flyer Kalaveti Ravouvou and Noah Heward in the back three. Bristol: Heward; Ravouvou, Van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska, Dun, Batley, Luatua, Harding (c), Mata. Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Lahiff, Rubiolo, Grondola, Marmion, Byrne, Bates. Update: Date: 19:42 BST Title: All change for Bath Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bath boss Johann van Graan unsurprisingly names an entirely different XV to the second-string team that started the 36-26 defeat at Saracens last Saturday. Guy Pepper starts at open-side flanker in place of the suspended Sam Underhill while Ted Hill makes his 50th appearance for the club at blind-side and Alfie Barbeary completes the back row at number eight with Miles Reid on the bench. Springboks prop Thomas Du Toit, named in the Premiership Team of the Season, starts on the bench for Bath with director of rugby Johann van Graan opting for England and British and Irish Lions selection Will Stuart (pictured) at tight-head. Captain Ben Spencer and Finn Russell are restored at half-back while Max Ojomoh partners Scotland international Cameron Redpath at centre and Will Muir, Joe Cokanasiga and Tom De Glanville make up the back three. Another Team of the Season pick, hooker Tom Dunn, and Beno Obano join Stuart in the front row with the established duo of Quinn Roux and Charlie Ewels making up the second row and flanker Josh Bayliss among six forwards on the bench. Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Barbeary. Replacements: Annett, van Wyk, Du Toit, Molony, Reid, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Bayliss. Update: Date: 19:40 BST Title: 'Bristol won't fear the task' Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Sophie HurcomBBC Sport at The Rec As soon as Bristol's fourth place in the Premiership was confirmed last Saturday, director of rugby Pat Lam was speaking about the Bears' record against their neighbours Bath. Lam and Bristol will be under no illusions about the challenge they face against Bath this evening, but they definitely won't fear the task in front of them. Since Johann van Graan took over Bath in July 2022, Bristol have beaten them five out of six times they have met in the Premiership – including the double this season. That being said, Gloucester boss George Skivington said in April that beating Bath at the Rec was one of the 'biggest challenges' in European rugby at the moment. If Bristol can win tonight and book that place in the Twickenham final, it will surely go down as one of their greatest victories. Update: Date: 19:38 BST Title: Ewels wary of Bears threat Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bath lock Charlie Ewels is wary of the threat of Bristol, having lost twice to their west country rivals in the regular season. Bristol prevailed 36-26 at the Rec in October before running-out 36-14 winners at the Principality Stadium last month. "They're a very good team, that's what I've taken from those matches, he said. "Obviously there's an extra level as it's a derby around the fans. "We've played them a few times this season - in the cup, twice in the league. At Cardiff we played different teams against them. "They will be very well prepped, we'll be very well prepped and we'll be really looking forward to it." Ewels has emphasised his side's need to "trust the process", a similar mantra coined by his coach last month, in order for Bath to go one step further and win the Premiership on 14 June to complete an historic treble. Update: Date: 19:36 BST Title: 'Dream game' for Bears boss Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bristol Bears' Premiership semi-final against Bath has been described as a "dream game" by director of rugby Pat Lam. Lam's side go into tonight's match as underdogs having finished the season fourth, 14 points behind their local rivals in the regular season standings. However, a league double over Bath this season backs up Lam's notion that his side "know how to beat Bath" - a defiant claim made following his side's 52-26 victory against Harlequins which confirmed Bears' play-off spot. "We're proud of that record, but it's the next one that counts," Lam told BBC Radio Bristol. "We've never played a derby game as a semi-final and for us we've never been in a final. It is the dream game really. "There's so much interest in it. We've already picked that up from both sets of supporters. There's good banter going back and forth. "Our goal was never to just get in the top four though; this is just the first stage," Lam added. Update: Date: 19:34 BST Title: Bath boss urges side to keep discipline Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan has urged his side to keep their discipline in their Premiership semi-final against Bristol on Friday. Van Graan's side finished the regular season with 72 points, 11 points clear at the top of the Premiership standings, and 14 clear of fourth-placed Bristol. But the South African is wary of the threat Bath's local rivals pose, having lost twice to the Bears in the league this season already. "This is our third semi-final we've played this season and I'll just say the usual - make sure you're disciplined, stick to what you do and make sure you perform on the day," Van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol. It has been a historic season in many ways already for Bath, having already completed a cup double by winning the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup - ending a drought of 17 years without a trophy. Update: Date: 19:32 BST Title: Play-off coaches on season finale Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Chris JonesBBC rugby union correspondent English rugby's top coaches say they are determined to revel in the pressure of leading their sides into do-or-die Premiership semi-finals this weekend. "If you can't love this, then get another job," says Bath's Johann van Graan. After 18 rounds of the regular campaign, two sides will emerge from this weekend to reach the final on 14 June at a sold-out Twickenham, with Leicester hosting Sale on Saturday. In a special Rugby Union Weekly podcast, we were joined exclusively by all four of the men plotting to lead their team to Premiership glory, just days before the biggest game of their season. Pat Lam of Bristol said: "I use that word 'privilege'. When you look at the Champions League final, PSG winning 5-0, that is a team that decided to go out and enjoy themselves. "Every time I have these moments I feel just privileged to be here and feel lucky to be doing what we do." Van Graan added: "This game is not about fear. This game is about attacking it - and may the best team win. "What would the world be without sport? I'm privileged to be part of it and part of a team that wants to achieve. "And if we want to get to the next stage, we've got to get past a very good team on Friday night." Update: Date: 19:30 BST Title: Who will survive Western shootout? Content: Bath v Bristol (19:45 BST) Welcome to your weekend... boy, do we have a treat in store for you under the Friday night lights! It's the business end of the Premiership season and tonight will see the first semi-final as table-topping Bath welcome a dangerous Bristol Bears side to the Rec. A place in the Twickenham final next weekend is at stake, with Leicester and Sale set to face off on Saturday to decide who will face tonight's winners. The Rec is a perfect setting for this showdown between two free-scoring sides on what might eventually end up being a wet and windy night in the wild west. Kick-off is 15 minutes away so let's quickly bring you up to speed...
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
History nut Heyes eyeing place on Argentina tour
The Leicester Tigers prop loves swotting up on destinations he visits and has no shortage of information to get stuck into this summer. Securing a spot on the plane is the first challenge but Heyes appears well set to do just that after featuring off the bench in each of England's Six Nations matches earlier this year. The 26-year-old said: "I'm madly passionate about history. I google the most ridiculous things and go from there. "I went on holiday to Tenerife, and I was sitting by the pool and just stuck in the Wikipedia hole about the place. I learnt that it was used as a Spanish shipping station to get to the Americas. "I will absolutely be researching before I go to Argentina. My favourite part of Argentine history is the Age of Discovery when Europeans first arrived and explored South America, establishing towns and cities." Heyes played an essential role off the bench behind Will Stuart in the Six Nations and now looks set to benefit from the Bath star's selection in the British & Irish Lions squad touring Australia. The Tigers front-rower even got on the scoresheet in the 68-14 win over Wales at Principality Stadium, his first international try, and hopes to add to his 17 caps this summer. The Rest Is History podcast fan will know all about conflicts between England and France in the past and the latest comes on the Allianz Stadium turf on June 21 before they head over the Atlantic. "I was really happy with the way things went in the Six Nations," Heyes said. "I got the taste of Test match rugby, and I obviously want more of it. "We've got a good challenge coming in Argentina and America, and France before that, so I'm excited. Hopefully if I'm selected to get the shirt on and play." Heyes' domestic commitments are not done yet, however, with his Leicester side welcoming Sale Sharks to Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the play-offs on Saturday. The prop tasted success with the East Midlands outfit when they won the league in 2022 and he has his sights set on repeating the feat. "We've treated nearly every game like a Prem final because it has been really, as it's been so tight at the top,' he said. 'There have been some properly tough games. "There have also been a few jokes with the Sale lads about when we beat Sharks at Welford Road. We're happy with playing in Leicester and we can't wait for it.' England XV face France XV at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday 21 June at 3:15pm. Tickets from £25, please visit
Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Will Stuart interview: I didn't watch the Lions announcement as I was doing DIY
'Andy Farrell would've thought I was a t--- straightaway, so I politely declined that request,' was the frank conclusion of Will Stuart, the Bath, England and now British and Irish Lions tighthead, when asked why the world never saw the prop's reaction to his call-up to the famous touring side last week. The reason why Farrell, the Lions head coach, might have thought that Stuart resembled something that rhymes with bat was because rather than watch the announcement, as most of those in contention did, the tighthead instead opted for an alternative approach, in keeping with his laid-back, idiosyncratic mien. Stuart opted to do some DIY in a house renovation; so, when the England social-media team asked the 28-year-old to react to the good news on video, he declined due to his face being covered with a mask and his body with dust. 'I missed all of the announcement,' said Stuart, who won his 50th England cap in the Six Nations destruction of Wales. 'Obviously, I knew what day it was on and I was pretty nervous the day before. I'm semi-renovating a house at the moment so I was on the circular saw outside, just chopping some panelling. I heard my missus shouting inside. She said she wasn't watching – I think she was pretending to do something – but that's how I found out. It was a conscious decision to be outside… I thought maybe I'd finish the job and then sit down and watch it. When I start any DIY stuff, I get into a full flow state and let the time slip by. It was quite a nice way to find out in the end. I didn't have any of the preamble. 'We moved into our house last September. We've done one side of the house and my missus is pushing for the builders to come in and do the kitchen. We've been putting up some panelling in the hallway. I got a message from Joel Stocker [part of England's social media team] straight away asking if we could go to a Zoom link but I had a mask on, covered in dust. My mum came around and we went to a restaurant in town. I treated myself to a little tiramisu. My mum was fairly emotional, she said she'd been crying.' The building work will have to be put on hold this summer, however, as Stuart returns to the scene of his 2022 tour with England, one of his 'favourite rugby memories'. In just 30 minutes of Stuart's company, it becomes clear that the tighthead is one of the game's quirkiest, most bubbly characters. But those who follow him on Instagram, where he recently announced his engagement to partner Nancy, might well have discerned that anyway. The former Wasp's biography description on the social-media platform reads 'Trap 2 Stu', while one caption reads: 'God gives his funniest battles to his silliest clowns.' 'I've had a telling off from my agent about that,' Stuart said, giggling. 'Not a 'telling off' maybe, but he asked if I wanted to make the most out of newfound performances by trying to commercialise it. No, not at all. That would be fake from me. 'Can you at least put my email in your bio?' he asked. No. I don't want any commercial opportunities, it's fine. ''Trap 2 Stu' was the part that my agent really was not happy about. It's actually not that bad. I'm not sure why he wasn't happy? It's the nickname I was given at Wasps, mainly from [James] Haskell, as I became the scapegoat for whenever anyone left marks in the toilets. Completely unfair, but I ran with it. 'If I see Hask or any of the older guys from Wasps, it's instantly 'Trap 2'. He had a few nicknames for me: Big Hero Six – it's a good likeness but it's not the most complimentary. Super King Mattress was another – I have no idea why. It's not the catchiest. At Bath, I'm just Stu. There are a couple of others we definitely should not talk about. Johann [van Graan, the Bath head coach] has transitioned from Will to Stu. But it's mainly Stu – or Spew. But that's by the by.' Stuart's zaniness belies his drive, however. He might enjoy playing the court jester, but this year the prop has developed into one of England's – and Bath's – most vital assets. The tighthead's Lions call-up could not have been more deserved, emerging during the Six Nations as, in propping stakes, a veritable star of the championship; granite at the scrum but balletic with the ball, too. Stuart moves with almost impossible athleticism for a man weighing north of 120kgs at his lightest. This was not always the case. Eighteen months ago, Stuart was England's third choice and the concern was that the tighthead would never fulfil the potential demonstrated while at Wasps, or seen for England in 2022 where he came off the bench to score two tries in a draw against New Zealand at Twickenham. Then came a metaphorical kick up the proverbial in the form of the Lions carrot, chats with England scrum coach Tom Harrison, and the respective arrivals of 'unbelievable' duo Thomas du Toit, Stuart's fellow tighthead at Bath, and the club's set-piece guru, Stevie Scott. 'Every player thinks about the Lions,' Stuart said. 'Around last year's Six Nations, I knew I could get to a point where I was in contention but at that point I knew I hadn't done enough. I sat down with Tom Harrison a few times last year and I was pretty consistent that this was a big thing. I didn't want there to be any missed opportunities so I threw everything in it for England and Bath. There was a lot to do. 'At the World Cup, I had the opportunity to start a few games but I didn't play that well and missed that opportunity. I found myself in that third-choice spot, playing a couple of group games and the third-fourth play-off. I found that whole period pretty difficult, and the following Six Nations, I just wasn't enjoying my rugby that much. The environment here at Bath is the best environment I've ever been in. I've just enjoyed coming into work and then it's easier to push yourself. Johann and this squad coming in has been a huge part of it. 'Coming into that World Cup, pre-Johann, I'd had a run of games where I was playing a lot of 70 or 80 minutes in a row for Bath. My body broke down a little bit and I basically had a year and a half where I'd play for a little and then get different injuries. With the squad we've got here now, rotation-wise, I know I'm not going to be playing 70-minute games non-stop. Thomas, Archie [Griffin], Billy [Sela]; it's a very shared workload. That hopefully has put years on my career. I had a conversation with the Team England guys about the match limit. I'm quite close to it but I have no worries. In a different environment, I might be worried about getting flogged. Here, they plan everything out, so you know when you're going to get time to step back.' Another facet of Stuart's management which is far more reasonable now is his weight. Even if he still has recurring nightmares about erg rowing sessions – 'I still sometimes wake up like 'f---!'; I've got PTSD from doing it' – the heaviest player in both England and Bath's squads now knows exactly what both club and country desire. 'I had a few years where I was fairly heavy and now I'm finding a bit of a sweet spot,' Stuart said. 'I bounced in between it. When I was first with England, I was quite light and I was given very strict parameters coming into camp that I would be sent turning if I was above that. With Steve [Borthwick, England head coach] at the start, I was very heavy. 'Under Eddie [Jones, Borthwick's predecessor], my lightest was probably 124kg. Bath always wanted me heavier, pre-Johann, so I'd come back and get to like 134. I was bouncing up and down between this 10kg swing. Now it's very aligned with the club and the national side, so I'm not eating dust and sitting in a sauna for two weeks before I go into England camp. And then I'm not stuffing my face as soon as I get back. That's been pretty good. I'm trying to figure out if I can out any lads who are lying about their weight – but I might still be the heaviest.' Rivalling Stuart for England's heaviest must be his fellow front-rowers. Fittingly, therefore, it was from two of those and Harrison whom Stuart heard from first after his Lions call-up last week. The scrum coach created a WhatsApp group immediately to congratulate his front-row trio of Stuart, Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie. 'I can't tell you what was on it,' he laughed. 'But everyone was really happy. 'Well-wishing' sums it up. It wasn't quite 'they're letting anyone in, nowadays', thankfully. I think there's a day at some point over the next few weeks where we'll all meet up.' So long as there is no pressing building work, Stuart will be present and correct; this time, a Lion.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Will Stuart has earned his place in Andy Farrell's Lions squad, writes NIK SIMON - get to know the Bath prop who has PTSD from another sport, shies away from the limelight and refused to watch his big call-up!
1.30pm, Thursday, May 8th was a time that had been marked in most rugby players' calendars for months. Reminders had been sent to tune into the TV, perch nervously on the edge of the sofa and watch Andy Farrell name his Lions squad live on air. In that career defining moment, as every contender held their breath, Will Stuart was pottering around in his back garden, cutting up panels of wood. Pencil behind his ear, measuring tape at the ready, his biggest focus was on how to avoid splinters.
Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Will Stuart: 20st with twinkle toes, but can prop get Lions nod?
The metamorphosis of Will Stuart continues to gather pace. This is the tight-head prop who, for much of his international career, had been the most unobtrusive of players. He was employed most frequently by England as the replacement tight-head, putting his head down and scrummaging hard in the No18 shirt, and beavering away diligently at the largely unseen aspects of the front-rowers' job. You don't sign up for life as a tight-head prop expecting giddy adulation and that seemed to suit Stuart just fine. This season, from that vast 6ft 2in, 20st 8lb chrysalis, a more colourful side to his game has begun to emerge. One of the highlights of the Six Nations was the razor-sharp sidestep that Stuart unveiled to leave Giacomo Nicotera, the
