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Six Nations 2026 Awards - and our Team of the Tournament
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Van Graan plays it cool despite fly-half setback for champions Bath
By Jon Newcombe
Bath could be forced to field their fifth-choice fly-half for the start of their Gallagher PREM title defence away to Harlequins on Friday, September 26.
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With British & Irish Lion Finn Russell stood down for the first two league matches and Santi Carreras away with Argentina at The Rugby Championship and Sam Harris still not quite ready to return, Ciaran Donoghue was earmarked to play at 10.
However, last season’s breakthrough star picked up a knock to the knee late on in the pre-season friendly against Munster and is ruled out for this weekend at least.
“We don’t have anything to report in terms of the length of time Ciaran will be out. We took him off a few minutes before the end at Munster. It is his knee and we will take our time with him,” Johann van Graan revealed.
“He came onto the pitch and did well for us in that game. It is not ideal, but that is sport.”
Van Graan is never one to leave any stone unturned in his planning and the South African insists Bath have plenty of options.
Even so, Bath fans will be anxious to hear positive news on Donoghue as soon as possible, as the 22-year-old was a revelation in Bath’s march to three trophies.
“The good thing is we plan for every eventuality. As I have said many times, professional sport is about being adaptable and fluid and there are many potential options at 10,” said van Graan.
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“Ben Spencer has played there before for us, so has Max Ojomoh, Tom de Glanville has trained in pre-season there, Tom Carr-Smith has done well as a back-up 10, and Cam (Redpath) has played there before, so there are options we need them.
“We might experiment over the weekend with one or two bits (Bath played Exeter in the Cup and Worcester in a friendly).”
Meanwhile, Harris, a full-back or fly-half, was said to be “progressing well” in his recovery from the knee injury that he suffered in February.
