Will Stuart has ditched nights out, slept on the floor and taped his mouth shut to maximise performance… and now the Bath and England prop is enjoying the feel-good factor

• Prop Will Stuart aims to continue his upward curve with Bath and England
• The prop was part of the England squad which finished third at the World Cup
• Feel-good factor back with Johann van Graan’s Bath joint top of the Premiership 

The brutal reality of what it takes to play professional rugby today means post-match nights out are now mostly a thing of the past for those who operate in the front row.

But for Will Stuart the physical demands placed on him and the subsequent pain is all worth it as the prop forward looks to continue his upward curve with ambitious Bath and England going into 2024.

‘Post-games are a write-off. I can’t sleep so I am usually tucked up with a drip-feed of tea and binge watching Netflix. That’s pretty much it on a Saturday night,’ Stuart said.

‘My girlfriend has moved in with me recently and has chosen a new mattress. It’s a bit too soft for me so I have spent a few nights on the floor tucked up in a duvet.’

Stuart’s post-match recovery might not be the most glamorous, but so far this season it has been accompanied by a winning feeling.

Prop Will Stuart aims to continue his upward curve with ambitious Bath and England

His Bath side is flying high both domestically and in Europe.

After years of criminal underachievement for a club of their heritage and resources, Bath are joint top of the Premiership and have won both their opening Champions Cup matches.

At long last there is a feel-good factor back at The Rec with Johann van Graan in charge.

‘We have had a few dreadful years so for me to be transitioning through some bad times to feeling like we are actually competitive and potentially pushing on to do good things is a massive thing for me,’

Stuart, 27, said. ‘It is hugely encouraging. It took me about a month to realise what Johann is all about and how impressive he is.

‘We had an injury-ravaged start last year and quite a lot of close games but towards the end of the year we started to get results and be quite dominant.

‘It felt different to the years before where we were losing games. I was pretty dejected about things – in professional sport losing is pretty infectious. You start losing faith.

Stuart was a part of the England squad which finished third at this year’s World Cup

‘Most of the players were very confident that what Johann wanted was going to be successful in the Premiership. It just takes time with a new coach coming in.’

Stuart has previously admitted to taping his mouth shut during the night to improve the benefits of nocturnal rest and maximise his recovery from matches.

He was a part of the England squad which finished third at this year’s World Cup after recovering from a nasty broken elbow suffered against South Africa at the end of 2022.

Stuart was a back-up figure to Dan Cole and Kyle Sinckler at tighthead in France.

‘The World Cup was a missed opportunity for me,’ he admitted. ‘I played in the warm-up games and some of the group games and then missed out for the quarter-final and semi-final.

‘I had a chance to make the shirt my own. That’s something that’s very frustrating and a massive motivator. Coming back here (Bath) and being part of a team that’s doing well helps.

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

Stuart is part of a Bath pack now finally able to mix it with the best in the Premiership and Europe and give a platform on which red-hot backs Finn Russell and Ollie Lawrence can thrive.

Stuart has an opportunity with retirement of Dan Cole, who quit Test rugby at 36

Kyle Sinckler is set set to be ineligible from the summer onwards with a move to Toulon likely

Going into the New Year, Stuart also has an opportunity with England.

Cole, 36, has retired from Test rugby and Sinckler looks set to be ineligible from the summer onwards with a move to Toulon likely.

Stuart is also out of contract at the end of this season but wants to stay with Bath. His team face a mouthwatering home Christmas clash with Harlequins on Saturday.

‘We are going through the contractual stuff at the moment,’ Stuart said.

‘But if we could win silverware with Bath it would mean the world having finished bottom of the league after a loss against Worcester two years ago. That’s something I really want to do.

‘That would make it all the sweeter. If I am part of a winning team and I am playing well, then I think everything takes care of itself.’

Stuart admitted staying available for England is paramount to his ambitions.

English rugby’s controversial selection ruling means players who represent clubs abroad can’t play for Steve Borthwick’s national side.

There is a feel-good factor back with Johann van Graan’s side flying high in the Premiership

Scotland star fly-half Finn Russell has been in sparkling form for Bath this season 

Henry Arundell, who was of interest to Bath, has become the latest victim after extending his stay with French side Racing 92.

‘If my career ended today I’d be able to say I achieved a little bit. I’ve had a few caps for England and a few for Bath,’ Stuart said.

‘In terms of what I want to achieve, the first part is being part of a winning team, a Premiership-winning team. To do that with Bath would be really special for me.

‘If you do that then it puts you on the front foot to really try and claim a shirt in the England team.’

Source: Read Full Article