Blow for Bath as Ben Spencer is ruled out for start of season

Bath captain Ben Spencer will miss the opening rounds of the 2026/27 PREM Rugby season as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.

The scrum-half, who led Bath to the PREM title in 2025, had an operation this summer to resolve a longstanding issue, with the club confirming he will return “later in the autumn.”

Presumably, this means Spencer will miss the first three league fixtures at least, Harlequins (away), Exeter (home) and Northampton (away).

Spencer is just one of several Bath players battling to recover from shoulder injuries, but Louie Hennessey, Will Muir, Sam Underhill, Tom Dunn and Tom de Glanville are on schedule to be fit for the new season.

Following an extensive rehabilitation period on the ACL injury he suffered in 2025, Jaco Coetzee has resumed full team training, which is great news for Bath as the No.8 will have an important role to play now that Alfie Barbeary has signed for Saracens.

Tight-head Will Stuart is also on course to be ready for the season’s start at the beginning of September, having recovered from the Achilles injury that felled him in December last year.

Again, Stuart’s presence on the pitch is vital to Bath’s hopes of silverware, given that star tight-head Thomas du Toit has returned home to South Africa.

Meanwhile, the club has confirmed that fellow tight-head Archie Griffin underwent an exploratory toe procedure in the off-season. It is anticipated he will return during the opening block of the 2026/27 season.

Beno Obano’s recovery from what has been described by the club’s head of medical, Rory Murray, as “a significant hamstring strain” whilst on England duty, is ongoing and the loose-head is preparing for the start of the season.

Wales U20 internationals Jack Woods (hamstring surgery) and Thompson Cowan (ACL) are at slightly different stages of their recovery but will be available for selection before too long.

The team is currently in France for a training camp before taking on Perpignan in a friendly fixture this coming Thursday (KO 19:30 local time).