Bath reveal further extent of Ollie Lawrence injury and it's not good

Bath have confirmed that England centre Ollie Lawrence will miss the start of next season following recent surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The 25-year-old was forced from the field after just eight minutes at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium during England’s Six Nations win over Italy, having collapsed off the ball while attempting to accelerate.

Lawrence looked devastated as he was carted from the pitch back in March, and a rapid recovery from the injury now appears unlikely. The centre had looked nailed on for a spot on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia later this year after an impressive showing in the tournament, but his involvement in the Autumn Nations Series with England is now touch and go, let alone a tour Down Under.

Head coach Johann van Graan also ruled out Sam Harris and Jaco Coetzee for the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign, ahead of Bath’s Gallagher Premiership showdown with league strugglers Newcastle this Saturday.

“I think it is important to note that neither Ollie or Sam Harris or Jaco Coetzee will be available for the start of next season,” said van Graan. “So that will be a number of months for all three of them.”

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Coetzee, the club’s influential No.8, is set for ACL surgery next week after sustaining the injury while scoring against Gloucester in the Challenge Cup quarter-final. His knee wrapped around the post during the act of grounding the ball, and he now faces a spell of between nine and twelve months on the sidelines.

Exciting Bath rookie Harris suffered a knee injury in February in just his second game back following his return from an ankle injury.

Elsewhere, wing Will Muir will miss this weekend’s match with the Falcons due to concussion, while Max Ojomoh is expected to be out for a matter of weeks with an ankle injury.