Will Stuart puts himself through pain barrier in quest for England redemption

20 December 2023 , 20:19

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“The World Cup I would say was a missed opportunity for me. That’s very frustrating and a massive motivator" (Image: Getty Images)

Will Stuart lay on the kitchen floor pressing a heat pack to his back as it continued to spasm.

While team mates enjoyed a huge Champions Cup win for Bath, the man with most to celebrate sipped a mug of tea and grimaced.

The England prop had got his own back on South Africa star Steven Kitshoff for their last meeting which ended in a broken elbow. Bath had not only beaten Ulster, their scrum had dominated to put Stuart back into the England reckoning after what, by his own admission, was a disappointing World Cup.

It came at a price, but it is one he is again prepared to pay this Saturday when packing down against England team mate and Harlequins star Joe Marler at the Rec.

“Post games are a write-off,” Stuart admitted. “I can’t sleep. I am usually tucked up with a drip-feed of tea, binge watching Netflix.

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“After Ulster I was actually back spasm-ing on my kitchen floor, with a heat pack on my back and a drip-line of tea from my girlfriend."

Stuart takes game to Argentina during England's Bronze Final defeat of Pumas at World Cup (Icon Sport via Getty Images)

Such is the glamorous life of a prop, whose job it is to man the front line in scrums where the average professional pack produces up to 6000 lbs of force.

Stuart’s cause has not been helped by the new mattress his girlfriend has bought which is “a bit soft for me” and has led him to spend a few nights on the floor tucked up in a duvet.

But with Bath enjoying their best start to a season in years and the 27-year old Londoner determined to catch the eye of England boss Steve Borthwick at the start of a new World Cup cycle, he is willing to endure almost any discomfort.

Joe Marler is next in line for Stuart in Bath this Saturday (Craig Mercer/Getty Images)

“The World Cup I would say was a missed opportunity for me,” he said. “I played in the warm-up games and some of the group games, then missed out for the quarter-final and semi-final.

“I had a chance to make the shirt my own. That’s very frustrating and a massive motivator.

“I’ve had three or four years with Bath and England where we’ve been sub-par. I want to be part of a team that is winning and pushing. That’s my main goal, career-wise.”

Dan Coles (right) was preferred to Stuart in England's World Cup semi-final against South Africa (Getty Images)

So much so that with his contract up for renewal he is not looking to follow the money to France or Japan but stay put and finish the job at Bath, who are level on points with leaders Sale.

“Winning silverware here, being part of a Premiership-winning team, would be one of the most meaningful things for me, career-wise,” said Stuart. “It would be really special.”

Alex Spink