Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Bath to pick-pocket bitter rivals for international star?

Finn Russell of Bath Rugby looks on during the Investec Champions Cup match between Bath Rugby and Stade Rochelais at The Recreation Ground on December 06, 2024 in Bath, England. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)

Bath could switch their attention to raiding West Country rivals Gloucester as Johann van Graan steps up his search to bring a new full-back to The Rec for the start of next season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Van Graan recently had talks with back-to-back Springbok World Cup winner Willie Le Roux, who is set to leave the Bulls this summer and not take up the option of an extra year on his contract.

The veteran star isn’t willing to commit himself to a move at this stage, however, and is waiting on lucrative offers from Japan Rugby League One to jump aboard the lucrative oriental gravy train.

Video Spacer

Best moments from the Investec Champions Cup | RPTV

The Boks Office crew discuss their best moments from the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup. Watch the full show on RugbyPass TV now

Watch now

Video Spacer

Best moments from the Investec Champions Cup | RPTV

The Boks Office crew discuss their best moments from the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup. Watch the full show on RugbyPass TV now

Watch now

Van Graan, who has been busy looking at his recruitment plans for next season, is now set to switch his attentions to closer-to-home and is keen to take Puma star Santi Carreras the 51 miles up the M5 from Kingsholm to the Rec.

Carreras, 26, hails from Cordoba in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas and is the first-choice fly-half for his country, but his four appearances for the Cherry and Whites this season have come at full-back.

Fixture
Investec Champions Cup
Benetton
10 - 7
30'
Bath
All Stats and Data

He scored a brace of tries in the win over Premiership champions Northampton Saints three weeks ago to take his tally to 19 in the 72 games he has played since signing from former Super Rugby outfit Jaguares four years ago.

Carreras, who can also play on either wing, has scored eight tries in 53 appearances for his country and penned a new deal to remain with Gloucester in 2022, but Bath are now providing serious competition for his services.

ADVERTISEMENT

He is one of three Pumas currently at Kingsholm alongside Matias Alemanno and Mayco Vivas and recovered from an operation to remove his appendix to play in the Challenge Cup Final defeat to the Sharks at the end of last season.

Bath face Benetton later today in the Investec Champions Cup.

Related


To be first in line for Rugby World Cup 2027 Australia tickets, register your interest here 

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 4 hours ago
‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

Ah yes, I see how you've solved the WC available slots, until theyre filled. As said in my reply I don't know if sides want to be up there when they're not good enough, in regards to sides who do well in the middle teir and reach challenge cup knockouts etc. It's also a very messy approach if you ask me, I was barely able to understand it.


It's means you've thought from the top down, and I'd have a bottom up approach. So I think first about what is best for the teams at the bottom, instead of your above approach were you try to fit teams in at the top first.


You've miss understood. You have to set up the competition so that it is based on merit, not like what you've done b,y last years results of English performance as a 'snapshot' of what the future will be like; ie you've given all leagues equal numbers/representation, that is the wrong approach imo. The share should be performance based, and with far less random WC's.


Well that's where we'll have to disagree then, because imo it's a much better idea to give the leagues WC spots rather than the individual teams. I suppose it depends a lot on stability, for instance the 4 Challenge Cup teams you name Sharks and Benneton are in contention because they are at least earning it based on one years of results (this year, so far at least, and last years results, respectively), Clermont a little less so, but Gloucester should not be included based on last year if it's supposed to be a true elite competition and compete with Super Rugby.


Same goes with Exeter, they should not be their because they were part of the 2024 version. Are Gloucester doing well in the prem this year because theyre not worried about resting players for Champions Cup competition? Teams like Benneton get the WC spot for Sharks winning a european trophy, Connacht (I'm not sure I buy my example of giving URC more to start with so maybe this is like Irelands 2nd or 3rd best team in future occasions) as Irelands wildcard for winning the 6N, Castres are rewarded for the Top 14 providing last years champions, based on my example WC ideas. Stormers are included based on the bigger base URC gets, and La Rochelle (based on league) or Toulon (as the missed the top four by elimination game).


Some good English teams miss out but as I say you don't want to be chopping and changing the formats so it might work out in future or you simply start with 5 each and Bristol is is included in CC. Why would you want to give less consistent teams, ones that primarly do well in europe, preference?

9 Go to comments
J
JW 7 hours ago
It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Really? He's back from injury this week so we'll get to see I suppose. I suspect you could be right re Ioane as well. Though I go even further to say he's lost those instincts (as well as speed with his bigger size) as well. The best (and most interesting with this discussion) example was against England were maybe Jordie gave him a bad pass (go figure) but which actually helped him get wide of the blitz, and he Tele'a on the outside but only Furbank coming up on the outside infront of him, but a plethora of the England blitz strategy cover running across the field. With Feyi-Waboso turning after and catching him, cover coming, all he had to do was put the foot on the gas and run at Furbanks inside shoulder and pass the ball to Tele'a for the try. Instead, he takes two steps, senses his chasers, and passes a weak effort out to Tele'a who just immediately just decides to cut back in behind Rieko.


I've started an investigation into Jordies role and use this week. I started by watching his RWC Final effort again (actually I watched it to count Frizell's defensive impact) and in that game his first contributions were one of the first receiver flick backs, then a no look pop, that quick chip for Ardie, a solid crash ball, and carry to the line and pop for Rieko to break through, and then into the second half he had another good crash ball (stopped watching at 58' when SF went off). I know it won't be the same under Razor because the first receiver flick backs have solely been a duty of a few specific forwards, but as I've already shown, its not likely he constant crashed it up under Razor I don't think.

78 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Top 100: Why do the best players come from the best teams? Top 100: Why do the best players come from the best teams?
Search