Will Stuart to make playing comeback nine months after horror injury

England prop Will Stuart will play his first game since rupturing his Achilles tendon when Bath take on Bedford tonight in a pre-season friendly at Goldington Road, which is being streamed by online broadcaster Clubber TV.

Stuart went off early in the second half of Bath’s Champions Cup victory against Munster in mid-December last year and missed the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

But the tight-head, who committed his future to Bath in February by signing a new contract through to 2028, is now ready to return after a long period of rehabilitation and has been named on the bench.

Stuart’s importance to Bath has become even more important following Thomas du Toit’s summer departure to the Sharks in South Africa, and head coach Johann van Graan will be praying that the 30-year-old comes through the Bedford encounter unscathed.

Wales international Archie Griffin, who underwent a toe procedure in the summer, starts the match at tight-head, with Stuart on an extended bench.

Stuart and Griffin are joined by Wales centre Louie Hennessey (shoulder) and former England hooker Tom Dunn in returning from injury, with that pair amongst the replacements.

Having started their PREM Cup campaign with a 50-28 defeat at Sale Sharks last Sunday, Bath have opted to use their bye week in the competition to field a much stronger outfit.

Other than star fly-half Finn Russell, the backline could be the one that lines up against Harlequins on 25 September in round one of the Gallagher Premiership.

Full-back Tom de Glanville and wings Henry Arundell and Joe Coknasiga make for a familiar back-three combination, while Cam Redpath and Ollie Lawrence team up in the centres.

With captain and first-choice scrum-half Ben Spencer still out with a shoulder injury, Tom Carr-Smith deputises at nine and is partnered at half-back by Ciaran Donoghue.

Miles Reid captains the side from openside with new signing, Dan du Preez lining up at No.8, and Arthur Green getting a start at six.

Quinn Roux and Ross Molony make for a highly experienced second row, while Griffin has loose-head Claudius Wheeler and hooker Dan Frost for company in the front row.