Points picked up while Bristol Bears are decimated with injuries will be ‘very special’ says Pat Lam as his table topping squad are looking threadbare.
Bristol are looking desperately thin in a number of key areas on the pitch: hooker, tighthead, scrum half and centre with the picture not improving greatly ahead of Leicester Tigers coming to Ashton Gate this weekend.
Fly-half Callum Sheedy looks set to feature for Wales on Saturday against England in the Six Nations, with his clubmate Kyle Sinckler, Ben Earl and Max Malins all expected to be in Eddie Jones' matchday 23.
Lam said: “We are into the depth chart to three or four in some positions, but this is invaluable, invaluable experience for them and that is why any points we get during the Six Nations or with an unavailability list like this are special.”
“In four years now I have been able to name the same 23 two weeks in a row so we are used to this. That is why it is important the whole squad understands the Bears’ way.”
One key specialist area Bristol are struggling is scrum half with just Andy Uren and Tom Kessell available following news Harry Randall picked up an ankle injury while away with England.
Discussing Randall, Lam said it is too soon to know the full extent of the injury.
He said: “Harry got an injury. We are going through that at the moment
“He has got scans and tests and I really don't want to say too much until I find out how long it will be. Hopefully it will be sooner but I will comment once I know the length of time he is out.
“We are down to two scrum halves, so fingers crossed at nine.
“Hopefully Chris Cook isn’t too far away, he has been unfortunate with quite a string of injuries this season and he was nearly back but he strained his calf a few weeks back. We could do with him back.
“And Blake Boyland had a foot injury which has ruled him out for the season so we are short at nine.”
Bristol had brought in former Harlequins scrum half Calum Waters on trial last month but he has now returned to his Championship club with the new second tier season finally set to kick-off on March 6.
Lam explained: “Calum came in but he is the number one nine for Hartpury. We got him in here to have a look and that was a massive thanks to John Barnes [Hartpury DoR] but now Hartpury are preparing for the start of the Championship so he has gone back there.”
In a rare bit of good news on the injury front lock Joe Joyce is back in selection contention after recovering from a shoulder injury which has kept him out for the best part of a month, with Lam also providing an update on Dave Attwood who was named to start for the Bears last weekend against London Irish but then withdrew from the squad.
Lam explained: “Because we played the Sunday game we named the team on Friday lunch time and then trained on Friday afternoon and he just picked up a slight strain on his calf.
“There was too much of a risk factor to play him, with the amount of games still to go.
“I wanted to make sure because we had the numbers, we have got Chris Vui, Joe Joyce is back this week as an option, Ed Holmes, John Hawkins - you don’t take risks when you have those options.”
Lam also revealed tighthead prop John Afoa’s removal at half time in the 34-34 draw with London Irish was also a precautionary measure, with his side 13-31 up at the break.
He said: “I know people have criticised taking John Afoa off, taking Charles Piutau and Steven Luatua off, but as a coach with a 21 point lead you trust we will get that job done.
“But also when you have got Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro , Max Lahiff and Kyle Sinckler all out, Jonny [Afoga] was struggling with a sore back all week and we could be sitting here saying John Afoa is now also on that list.
“That is why we work closely with the medical teams, the same with Charles he is still coming back [Achilies] and Steven is only just back as well [calf].
“I don’t regret the decisions I made, it is more about how we dealt with it.
But like I said after the game it raised some good questions about where guys are at and we have gone through that last 20 minutes and looked at what we got wrong.
“There were a lot of guys putting everything into trying to stop it, but that is the problem, you have to do it as a team.”
With Bryan Byrne [knee] and Harry Thacker [neck] still sidelined the Bears have just two fit hookers in WIll Capon and George Kloska while centre is looking equally thin with Siale Piutau [shoulder] and Semi Radradra [knee] still out injured and now Sam Bedlow suspended for three weeks for a tip tackle in the draw with Exiles.
Piers O'Conor, Tiff Eden, Alapati Leiua and Charlie Powell are all potential options at 12 and 13.
