Batley eyes England tour to cap frustrating season

JOE Batley’s frustrating season can be summed up by a week in November when he turned up for training with England A nursing a calf strain only to discover he had a broken leg.

- By PAUL REES

The Bristol second row earned his call-up for the match against Australia A after starting the first six Premiership matches of the campaign and excelling in the tight and loose.

But he found himself on the sidelines for 10 weeks and when he returned for the Champions Cup match against Treviso at Ashton Gate in January, he lasted six minutes before suffering a toe injury that required surgery.

That kept him out of action until last weekend’s Big Day Out when Bristol faced neighbours Bath at the Principality Stadium in front of a 51,000 crowd. He set out to make up for lost time, twice charging down kicks from a ruck and leading the Bears’ 100 per cent lineout.

“It was frustrating and deeply upsetting to be out for so long,” said the 28-year old, who is in his second stint with Bristol. “I had had four years when I was hardly ever injured and after breaking my leg against Australia saw my foot go in my first match back.

“I used the time out to put on some decent timber in terms of my body but I was itching to get back on the pitch. To do so at the Principality Stadium was amazing — the walk into the ground and the pre-match blew me away.