On the face of it Sam Underhill endured a torrid first season at Bath. He managed only eight matches for the club, two starts for England and each time he found his form and fitness another injury setback arrived. As he had been identified, perhaps a little hastily, as the solution to all England’s openside problems, his spells on the sidelines were all the more frustrating for club and country.
But that is not quite how he sees it. Underhill’s problems may have started as early as his Premiership debut for Bath – the first of multiple concussions suffered last season occurring an hour into an impressive showing – but he shrugs off concerns that he is too prone to injury.
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“It is annoying. I am only 22 so I am hoping I have a fair bit more rugby to play. For most people it is rare they go through a whole career without injuries,” says Underhill. “Last year was still a good year. I played eight games for Bath and five for England – that is not a disaster of a season, it is just not a good season. Not having many club games put it into a ‘bad season’.”
Concerns over Underhill’s wellbeing became more serious when he suffered another head injury in England’s second autumn international against Australia last November. His Bath director of rugby, Todd Blackadder, urged England not to pick him for the Six Nations.
Underhill, meanwhile, is grateful for the extended time off he was afforded by his club, who open their Premiership season at Bristol next Friday. “The biggest thing is the impact it has on the rest of your life. It’s not specific to rugby or to sport. You have only one brain and it’s vital to your wellbeing in general. I was in a fortunate position where I was well looked after but some guys might not be so lucky, depending on the set-up, age, environment, circumstances, whatever it might be.
“It’s just about showing there’s nothing wrong with coming off the pitch. There’s always going to be an element of getting a knock to the head: ‘Am I concussed?’ I might not be but you can’t play rugby without banging your head into something. It’s about recognising that enough is enough and there’s nothing wrong with putting your hand up and saying: ‘I’m not feeling right.’ Ending the stigma around it is the big thing.”
Underhill’s last Premiership appearance last season came in October but he did make two European starts for Bath in January before he was selected for the Six Nations, making replacement appearances against Italy, Wales – catching the eye with that remarkable tackle on Scott Williams – as well as Scotland. He suffered a toe injury during England training soon afterwards, though, and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the season. Bath’s first-team coach, Toby Booth, said Underhill returned to the club broken but, if the back-row ever needed a dose of perspective, it came only a few weeks ago.
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“All of my mates from first year graduated this summer,” says Underhill who still hopes to complete the economics degree he began in Cardiff when with the Ospreys. “I did catch up with them and congratulated them all. It was a bit of an insight into what I could have been like – most of them are unemployed. Injuries aren’t avoidable – you have to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind and control what you can control. I am working hard to make myself as durable as I can within the areas I can control.”
Eddie Jones has been aware of Underhill’s potential ever since he was brought to his attention by the World Cup winner Richard Hill shortly after taking over in 2016. He holds him in such high regard that Underhill was made one of two defensive captains on only his second appearance against Argentina last autumn but in his absence Tom Curry started all three June Tests in South Africa.
“I am under no illusions as to where I am [with England],” says Underhill. “If I want to be in that team, I have got to earn the right to be in that team. Everyone does. I am fitter than I was when I came in [to England] and I am fitter than I was lastI am under no illusions as to how hard it is going to be but it is something I am looking forward to.
season. I am bigger, heavier, moving relatively well. My body feels relatively good – obviously I have not played any rugby but in terms of training here I feel like I have developed as a player. To be honest, I just want to play.”