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Bath's rivals set to swoop for young flanker Ethan Staddon

SALFORD, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 08: Ethan Staddon of Bath Rugby looks on prior to the PREM Rugby Cup match between Sale Sharks and Bath Rugby at CorpAcq Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Salford, England. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)
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Bristol Bears are poised to raid neighbours Bath and take flanker Ethan Staddon to Ashton Gate next season as Pat Lam steps up his recruitment plans.

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Former England Under-18 and Under-20 Staddon, 23, who was part of the Bath side that won the PREM Rugby Cup in 2025, beating Exeter Chiefs 48-14, is out of contract at the end of the season.

Dorchester-born Staddon made his debut for the Blue, Black and White against Worcester Warriors in December 2020, and has played 37 games for the club, with 21 coming in the cup.

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The former Hartpury ace, who signed a one-year contract extension last February, who can play six or seven, is the latest player that Lam has shown an interest in.

RugbyPass reported at the weekend that the Bears are keen on Ulster’s former Ireland under-20 lock Matthew Dalton, who is out of contract with the United Rugby Championship outfit at the end of the season.

Dalton, who rejoined Ulster for a second spell in January 2025, has also played for Utah, Newcastle Falcons and Soyaux Angoulême, and has made five appearances for Ulster.

While we also exclusively revealed that they had moved for Cornish Pirates hooker Sol Moody, who has been one of Champ Rugby’s standout performers since joining on a dual registration from Exeter Chiefs.

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Moody has scored 11 tries in 10 games for the Pirates, including four in the win against Ampthill and a hat-trick in the win over London Scottish last weekend.

We also revealed in December that Lam has also done a deal that will see Ealing Trailfinders highly-rated full-back Tobi Wilson move to the club at the start of next season.

And it is understood that they are very close to winning the race for Worcester Warriors’ No.8 Khalik Kareem, who is another player to have caught the eye playing in the Champ this season.

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NoLongerARuck 1 hour ago
The Gallagher Prem may have become the new Super Rugby - and attack is here to stay

Comparing these two games is like comparing rotten apples with rotten oranges. Both are unpalatable, inedible and likely to make you sick. If I wanted to watch fast athletes leaping over obstacles I would watch the 200m hurdles at an IAAF event because static hurdles are what the Bath defenders seemed like against the Northampton backs. Northampton unleashed just 80 rucks for 19 line breaks. Bath barely made them work for 71 points. It was embarrassing with simple moves overloading the defence leading to simple scores and lets not talk about the missed tackles. The Saints defence wasnt as forgiving but it still looked like flat straight road with just a few tricky corners. The Prem is the new Super Rugby in terms of scores but not in terms of grit and substance. It has none of that and when these teams hit the Champs cup they meet true grit in the form of the French.

As for the Stormers vs Sharks I was doing meal prep and between chopping onions I shed a tear for the rugby being played out there. It was dreary with few rucks being built and pens, kicks, scrums and mauls being the order of the day. I turned on the tv to watch SFM, Damian Willemse, Giant Andre and nippy Edwill to name but a few but I got some one-dimensional dros served up in a typically rubbish South African derby. 63 kicks, 30 lineouts, 22 pens, 31 turnovers and ball in play of probably 25mins. Just 230 passes and 120 rucks between both sides, it was one out rugby to say the least. Imagine being asked to just make 81 tackles in a match and you still concede 39 points and miss 21 of them for less than 75%. It shows you how little the Stormers played and how poorly the Sharks defended. If you werent convinced by how little the Stormers played by that stat just look at the rucks built, 45 only, its like they played one half of rugby but thats actually a whole games worth for them.



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NoLongerARuck 2 hours ago
Second-half Bledisloe capitulation lays bare Wallabies’ lack of bench depth

When they went into the break at 17-14 there was hope that they could win but as soon as that thought creeped in so did another that we have seen this script before and so a tight game became a blowout thanks in part to the bench woes the Wallabies have. This match also highlighted the obvious mental block Australia have when playing in NZ which is present too in Super Rugby. It is a horrible record built up through decades of suffering. Australia didnt help themselves in this game too. Defence was poor and a lack of contest at breakdown and ponderous line speed meant they just couldnt stop the black waves of attack. It was relentless from the All Blacks who showed their physicality, skill and grit which they have been honing in Rugbys Greatest Rivarly. They were battle hardened and ready for this test.

Australia didnt get any of the outcomes which they wanted off the high balls as well with the normally reliable JAS struggling. JAS struggled with his tackling as well and Potter and Henry were effectively cannon fodder for best centre in the world Jordie and his mercurial teammate Tupaea. Mcreight was also played out the game completely. Wilson was fantastic and the best player on the park with 28 tackles and no misses, a true captains knock. The lineout also went well and they must repeat the dose this weekend. The Wallabies must do better this week at home in several areas. If they can win this one it could be the catalyst for great things to come. This is probably the biggest test of the year for the Wallabies and a true test of their credentials for the showpiece next year.



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