Sam Underhill to miss England’s November matches after biceps rupture

Sam Underhill will miss England’s three November Nations Championship matches after rupturing his biceps in Bath’s opening Premiership game away at Harlequins. BBC Sport reported the diagnosis on Wednesday, 30 September, after speaking to Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan. The 30-year-old flanker needs surgery, leaving both Bath and England without him for the coming weeks.

Bath expect Underhill to be out until December or January, according to the BBC. That is a recovery estimate, not a confirmed return date. England are due to play Australia, Japan and New Zealand in November, and the BBC says Underhill will miss all three internationals.

How Underhill’s injury was confirmed

Underhill left Bath’s match at Harlequins in the 48th minute. Van Graan told BBC Radio Somerset that he went to see the flanker immediately after he came off because he recognised the potential longer-term impact of the injury. A scan was still needed before the club could establish its extent.

Van Graan said he suspected a biceps rupture at the time and that the scan subsequently confirmed it. He told the BBC Underhill was due to have an operation on Thursday, 1 October. The distinction matters for the timetable: the initial concern at the ground has since become a confirmed diagnosis requiring surgery.

Which England matches will Underhill miss?

England Rugby’s published fixture schedule lists Nations Championship home matches against Australia on Sunday, 8 November, Japan on Saturday, 14 November, and New Zealand on Saturday, 21 November. Those are the three internationals the BBC says Underhill is expected to miss. His absence also covers a substantial part of Bath’s domestic season, according to the BBC report.

The injury removes an experienced player from England’s autumn plans. Underhill has 51 England caps and played in all five of the side’s Six Nations matches this year, the BBC reported. Those figures describe his recent involvement; neither the BBC report nor the fixture schedule identifies who might take his place in an England squad.

Bath’s estimate and Underhill’s recent absences

Underhill also missed England’s summer internationals against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina while undergoing shoulder surgery, according to the BBC. The biceps rupture is a separate injury sustained in Bath’s first Premiership match of the new season. It follows a summer in which he had already been absent from England duty.

Van Graan told the BBC that an injury in the opening round was particularly disappointing for a player who had just completed pre-season. He said Underhill had experienced significant injuries before and that Bath looked forward to welcoming him back when he was ready. His remarks did not turn the club’s December or January expectation into a fixed date.

Bath have other players unavailable as the season begins. The BBC reported that new signing Jamie Bhatti broke a forearm in pre-season, Vilikesa Sela is out until November with a toe injury, and Will Muir has no return date after a shoulder injury last season. Ben Spencer and Louie Hennessey are expected to resume team training in October. Those separate timelines do not indicate when Underhill can play again.

What happens next for Underhill

The immediate step is the operation Van Graan said was planned for 1 October. Bath’s estimate places Underhill’s return in December or January, after England’s listed November fixtures. The available accounts establish the diagnosis and the matches affected, but give no precise return date or England replacement decision. Any firmer timetable will depend on a later update from Bath or England.