Bath Rugby latest injuries - sweating on a number of key players for match against Bordeaux-Begles

Bath Rugby are sweating on a number of key men for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Bordeaux Begles, with club captain Ben Spencer one of those who is ‘touch and go’ for the knockout game.

Scrum-half Spencer, Scotland centre Cam Redpath, England centre Max Ojomoh, and giant winger Joe Cokanasiga are all doubts heading to the Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Metropole, with exciting scrum-half Bernard van der Linde having undergone surgery this week on the ankle injury he suffered in Saturday’s 41-38 defeat away at Northampton Saints.

Providing an update on his squad, Bath head of rugby van Graan said: “I'd say they're [Spencer, Redpath and Ojomoh] all touch and go. Joe Cokanasiga as well. He has a mid-leg issue.

“One casualty from Saturday's game was Bernard van der Linde. Even when he came off the field, Rory [Murray, head of medical] and I spoke, and we said we need to get him back as soon as we can, so he was operated on on Monday morning. And we hope to get him back before the end of the season.

“I think it's again a testament not only to the player but to all of the staff that we get guys back as quickly as we can. I think one bit about this group of players, because we've consistently done it for three years and ten months, is we back our squad. So, from my point of view, whoever gets selected, we're ready to play on Sunday afternoon and they'll represent the group.

“We'll wait until after training on Friday to see where we are. Our final training session will be when we've already had to officially announce the team, so we will only know by Friday after the session.”

With scrum-half Bernard van der Linde out, and Ben Spencer a doubt with his shoulder injury, Tom Carr-Smith could be thrust into the limelight, with van Graan’s options at nine limited after Neil le Roux left the club earlier in the month.

Van Graan said: “I thought Tom Carr-Smith was exceptional against Northampton on Saturday. Isaac Mears is the next 9 in, who we’ve pulled out of the England Students, so he’s in the group.”

Eighteen-year-old Mears signed his first professional contract with Bath this month and is yet to make his senior debut for the club. He captained England U19 in a recent friendly against Japan High Schools and is also part of the University of Bath BUCS Super Rugby league champion side.

Van Graan said his side will be prepared for all eventualities come Sunday afternoon. He explained: “One of the bits that obviously the group knows but the outside world doesn't is we go through multiple situational plays in training sessions throughout the year. So, let’s just say in the worst-case scenario, you might see somebody play at 9 that’s never played at 9. But if you refer back to the World Cup final back in 2023, one team [the Springboks] decided to go without a 9 on the bench. So, you know, there are many different things that we could do.

“We've got faith that Ben will be fine on the weekend, and whether he or any other player is not, we're all pretty adaptable.

“I think there are always two choices you can make with injuries: you can feel sorry for yourself or you make a plan, and this group is exceptional at making plans.”