Bath confirm three new signings including England scrum-half Ben Spencer
Bath have confirmed the arrival of three new players ahead of next season, including Saracens and England scrum-half Ben Spencer on a three-year contract.
Leicester lock Will Spencer and Juan Schoeman, a prop from the Sharks in South Africa, have also signed up for next season.
The club however are still in the market for a fly-half following the departure of Freddie Burns to Japan, with nothing to immediately announce in that area. Rhys Priestland is the only specialist No 10 left at the club heading into the new season.
“One thing to note is the market has been very different this year right from the start with the World Cup. The pandemic has changed the dynamic all over again. Options are coming up at different times to normal. If someone comes in it has to be the right person," Bath's director of rugby, Stuart Hooper, tells Telegraph Sport.
“Rhys has done a great job for us this year and has a lot more to give, and we have cover with Josh Matavesi who has played 10 for Fiji. We are making sure it’s the right person and that they fit in with what we are trying to do.”
Scrum-half Spencer initially missed out on England’s Rugby World Cup squad but was flown out for the final following an injury to Willi Heinz, with Spencer an unused substitute against South Africa.
While a number of Saracens players have headed out on loan following their relegation from the Premiership, Spencer has made a permanent move to The Rec on a long-term contract and will compete with Will Chudley and Max Green for a starting spot.
“Ben is somebody we have looked at for a long time,” Hooper explains. “He re-signed at Saracens, but with everything that has happened became available. We had done a lot of homework on him and how he could really influence our game. We feel he can add an awful lot. He has come through and played a lot of rugby at different levels which has made him a really well-rounded player.”
Second-row Spencer began his career at Bath, making 11 appearances in the Premiership and spending time on loan at London Welsh, before moving to Worcester Warriors and then Welford Road.
“I have a lot of time for Will as a human being and as a rugby player. He is incredibly tough,” explains Hooper, who played alongside Spencer during the latter's first spell at the club.
“He makes holes in defences, and holds the club very dear to his heart. When he left originally I was gutted, but looking back it was the right thing for him and his development. He went and ran the lineout at Worcester, spent time with England. When we were looking to add some real ballast to the second row, Will was top of the list, to be honest.”
The three signings join Cameron Redpath and Josh Matavesi, signed mid-season from Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons respectively, among Bath’s new recruits for next season. Exciting wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb has also been promoted from the club's academy.
Redpath, son of former Scotland captain Bryan, can also cover fly-half, but Hooper believes the 20 year-old has the potential to become an international centre, having trained with England in the past.
“Cam is a quality individual and a big athlete, which people probably don’t realise. He has really grown as a leader and wants to dictate the game, to be a second set of eyes for a 10. I have to go back to 2014-15 for the last time when we had a genuine second ball-playing inside centre.”
Bath have also announced 15 departures, including the previously confirmed exits of Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Sam Nixon (Bayonne), Francois Louw (retired), Freddie Burns (Toyota), Chris Cook (Bristol) and Jackson Willison (Soyaux Angouleme).
Long-term players Matt Garvey and Tom Homer are moving on, along with Levi Douglas, Lucas Noguera, Jack Davies, Alex Davies, Aled Brew, Rhys Davies and Levi Davis.
"Garvs has been a tremendous servant for Bath, captained the club. Everybody involved has a huge amount of respect for him. But when we sit down and make decisions around the team and how do we move this club forward, that is one of the difficult ones we had to make. It's tough and hard to see people leave the club when they have given so much, but it's the reality of the game we're in," notes Hooper.
"Tom [Homer] has given a huge amount to the club and played some fantastic rugby before the break, scoring some great tries and his counter-attacking was outstanding. There are a few guys really chomping at his heels and with Anthony [Watson] and Tom de Glanville as a young guy coming through, we are comfortable with the players we have in that position.
"Jackson came to us from Worcester and is a great guy, we wish him and his family all the best. When he played for us he was a real threat with the ball. With signing Cam and Josh, and the emergence of Max Ojomoh and Will Butt from the academy, there is plenty of competition there."
