The match will be Bath’s first Champions Cup semi-final in 20 years. Arundell too has taken a longer-than-expected route to this point.
As a rugby-mad schoolboy at Beechen Cliff in Bath, the club were the obvious career choice.
Arundell’s team-mates Miles Reid (four years above), Tom de Glanville (three years above), Ethan Staddon (a year above) and Vilikesa ‘Billy’ Sela (two years below) were all tied to Bath’s academy from the state school’s rugby programme.
But, aged 14, Henry’s talents, and his father’s career, took him elsewhere. His father Ralph got a job with Harrow School in north-west London. Henry got a scholarship.
In London Irish’s catchment area, he made his Exiles debut in November 2021, shortly after his 19th birthday. Several scorching scores followed, most notably a jaw-dropping 98m virtuoso run against Toulon,, external before he was named in England’s squad to tour Australia.
However, London Irish went into administration in June 2023 and Arundell opted for a move to French club Racing 92.
It didn’t turn out as he had hoped.
Injury and iffy performances checked his progress. Former England coach Stuart Lancaster, who had brought Arundell to the club, was sacked in February 2025 amid some miserable results.
“There were moments where your form is not great or you have injuries – and that can have an effect,” he says.
“You find the most growth in adversity and there were definitely things I gained – a lot of skill stuff and understanding from working with [All Black legend] Joe Rokocoko as a back-three coach and attack stuff from [former France fly-half] Freddie Michalak.
“You learn a lot from the players around you, the likes of Siya Kolisi, Gael Fickou, Josua Tuisova. You’re playing with huge names.
“When Owen [Farrell] came for my second year that was someone English that I could chat to and really learn from.
“At the end of the day though, I was a 20-year-old kid out in France living on my own and sometimes you do need family around you.
“I’m seeing my family every week now, rather than every few months. Having that support system is very special and I probably didn’t appreciate that enough when I was a bit younger.”
