Bath Confirm England flanker Sam Underhill has been stood down following surgery

A statement from Bath read: "Sam had a minor surgical procedure on his ankle following England’s summer tour of New Zealand. He will return during the early rounds of the Premiership Rugby season."

The blue, black and whites also confirmed the roads to recovery for a further six players, including new arrival Guy Pepper. The back row talent arrived at the Rec from Newcastle Falcons mid-way through the Summer transfer window, but required an operation on his shoulder to get himself back to full fitness. Below is the statement from Bath Rugby, regarding the player's paths back to the pitch.

GUY PEPPER (back row): "Guy has returned to team training following surgery on his shoulder. He is in line to make his Bath debut against Ealing."

CAM REDPATH (centre): "Cameron will not feature in any of Bath’s pre-season games due to recovery from his off-season shoulder surgery. Like Sam Underhill, Cameron will return during the early rounds of the Premiership Rugby season."

BILLY SELA (prop): "Billy is nearing a return from the injury he sustained during the World Rugby U20 Championship. He is likely to feature against Ealing Trailfinders or Dragons RFC."

REGAN GRACE (wing): "Regan is recuperating from the hamstring injury sustained whilst on tour with Wales in July. He is aiming to return to rugby in December."

KIERAN VERDEN (prop): "Kieran has been training with the squad this summer after initially leaving the club at the end of the 2023/24 season. He will be available for selection for Bath’s pre-season fixtures."

ARCHIE STANLEY: "Archie, who also left the club at the end of 2023/24, has been training with the squad during pre-season and has committed to an initial short-term Senior Academy contract."

The tournament commences on Friday, 31 January, with France hosting Wales in Paris, with kick-off at 9:15 pm local time. This hasn't gone down well with fans.

One fan wrote: "Rugby is already declining in Wales and now children won't be able to watch their first game. Bad idea,"

A second said: "Getting to the Stade de France at the best of time is hard. Getting back after a 9:15 kick-off time will be a nightmare,"

Another simply stated: "Who's f***ing s*** idea was this?"

England will play the following day, as Scotland takes on Italy at Murrayfield, as announced by tournament organisers.

As per this year, the 2025 Championship will see BBC and ITV sharing coverage in the UK, with S4C offering Welsh language options. France Television will be the home of the Championship for French fans, RTE and Virgin Media will once again cover the games in Ireland. In Italy, Sky Italia will continue their coverage of the Championship in 2025. The host broadcast coverage will also be complemented by widespread international broadcast coverage and a World Feed service.

Groundbreaking AI technology has unveiled its jaw-dropping forecasts for the next two decades of Six Nations glory, and the results are nothing short of mind-blowing.

According to the cutting-edge predictions, England is poised to clinch victory in a staggering five out of the next 20 tournaments, while Scotland is primed for a historic triumph, marking their first title since their Five Nations conquest in 1999.

However, the road ahead seems daunting for Wales, as the AI oracle forecasts a prolonged wait until 2041 for their next taste of Six Nations glory.

Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses such as England, Ireland, and France are slated to dominate the competition, casting a shadow over Welsh aspirations.

Check out the next 20 Six Nations winner's below.

2025: France

2026: Ireland

2027: England

2028: England

2029: Scotland

2030: France

2031: Ireland

2032: England

2033: Ireland

2034: France

2035: Ireland

2036: England

2037: Scotland

2038: France

2039: Ireland

2040: England

2041: Wales

2042: France

2043: Ireland