Injury could open door for Wales ace

WALES tighthead Archie Griffin has been handed a major opportunity leading into the Six Nations after Bath prop Will Stuart suffered what appears to be a serious Achilles injury in the club's Champions Cup win over Munster.

- GLEN WILLIAMS

Stuart, an England international and British & Irish Lion, went down in the 47th minute of Bath's 40-14 victory and received lengthy attention before being helped from the field. Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan admitted post-match that the early signs were not good.

"It looks like it's his Achilles... he couldn’t even stand up when he got pulled off the field," said van Graan.

"I'll receive an update later, but it looks very serious."

The injury is a sizeable blow for England boss Steve Borthwick ahead of the 2026 Six Nations, but it could hardly be more significant for Wales and Steve Tandy, with Griffin now moving up the Bath pecking order at a crucial time.