Josh McNally: Bath lock out with hamstring injury

McNally was walking on crutches after Bath's match against Leicester

Bath lock Josh McNally faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a "significant" hamstring injury in the team's defeat by Leicester.

McNally started the match on 19 February as captain, but went off on crutches in the 51st minute.

The 31-year-old has featured 12 times for Bath this season.

"He's had a scan, now waiting to see a specialist, but it's pretty significant," said Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper.

"He's not going to be back anytime soon."

Hooper said that while McNally was likely to be out for "weeks" he was unable to give a specific timescale, depending on the meeting with a specialist.

"Then we get the right course of action with what we have to do with it, whether it be conservative or surgery and go from there," Hooper said.

More back-room rotation

Following the loss to Premiership leaders Leicester, bottom-placed Bath confirmed attack coach David Williams was leaving the club with immediate effect.

Williams, who joined the coaching set-up last summer, was already due to be leaving at the end of the season amid a major behind the scenes shake-up at Bath, which will see Munster's Johann van Graan come in as head coach.

However, Williams's departure by mutual consent has been confirmed even earlier, with skills coach Ryan Davis filling the role for the rest of the season.

"It's a personal one and something which has been agreed between David and the club," Hooper said.

"What I will say is in his time here he was outstanding and obviously with the structure moving forward and him not going to be involved next year, it's the right thing for him and for us that he leaves now.

"We thank David for everything he's done and respect that decision on both parts."

Scrum coach Mark Lilley and defence coach Brent Janse van Rensburg - who joined in December on a short-term deal - are leaving at the end of the season.

South African Van Grann will replace Neal Hatley in the head coach role, with Hatley continuing as forwards coach. Hooper, who will stay on as director of rugby, said the final pieces of the coaching staff are almost in place with news expected soon.

"It's important that that's what we seek, some continuity so that a group can grow and develop together," Hooper said.

"Of course we would have liked it to be different but if it was different it would have meant that results were different and we would have been in a much better place.

"We understand the need for change and it's about now finishing this season as strongly as possible and shifting focus to next year."