The former Bath captain Stuart Hooper has been earmarked to replace Todd Blackadder as their director of rugby but not until 2020 at the earliest after the club confirmed the New Zealander’s contract extension.
Bath moved to end speculation over Blackadder’s future by announcing in an open letter to supporters that he will remain as the director of rugby until at least the end of next season. When he goes, the plan is for the 36-year-old Hooper to replace him but the club’s chief executive, Tarquin McDonald, revealed Blackadder may yet extend his stay further.
In a detailed outline of Bath’s future, McDonald also announced the long-serving first-team coaches Toby Booth and Darren Edwards will be leaving at the end of the season. Hooper’s scheduled step up, however, is part of the club’s strategy of seeking to promote from within.
After serving as Bath’s captain for five seasons he retired two years ago with a back injury before taking on the role of performance and player development director. This season he has been promoted to general manager. McDonald said: “Why Stuart Hooper? Outstanding leadership qualities, tremendous integrity yet also the willingness to be challenged, an unbelievable work ethic, a strategic mindset and the ability to get the best out of people.”
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Meanwhile Bath have followed Wasps’ lead and left Joe Cokanasiga and Zach Mercer out of their side to face Saracens on Saturday. The pair returned from the England training camp in Bristol on Tuesday but, after Wasps named Elliot Daly, Dan Robson and Nathan Hughes on the bench for Friday’s match at Newcastle, Cokanasiga and Mercer miss out completely among 13 changes. Saracens on the other hand had nine of their players away with England but eight start, including Billy Vunipola, who missed last Sunday’s emphatic win over Gloucester because of a pre-arranged medical procedure.
Elsewhere, Harlequins welcome back Mike Brown, who has been out with a wrist injury since the opening weekend of the season, as well as the co-captain James Horwill, as they travel to Gloucester on a run of three consecutive defeats. Joe Marler also starts, having announced his international retirement this week. “We are a couple of per cent off here or there which can sometimes feel like a million miles off but after forensically reviewing our performances we can see the growth we are beginning to make,” the Harlequins head of rugby, Paul Gustard, said.
Luther Burrell returns for Northampton’s trip to Bristol, who have made a 100% winning start at Ashton Gate with victories over Bath and Harlequins.