Bristol Bears look set to be bolstered by the return of star scrum-half Harry Randall next weekend as the league leaders look to secure a home semi-final away at Leicester Tigers.
Randall, 23, has barely played for the Bears since a man of the match display in the victory against Exeter Chiefs back in January after picking up an ankle injury in England camp during the Six Nations and then injuring his shoulder against Bordeaux-Begles on his return on April 4.
However, having warmed up with the squad at the AJ Bell Stadium ahead of the 22-12 defeat to Sale Sharks on Friday night, director of rugby Pat Lam revealed Randall is ready for a return to add competition at nine with Andy Uren.
Lam said: “Randall should be back now next week and available for selection."
Randall’s return looks to follow hooker Harry Thacker who made his first appearance of the 2020/21 season off the bench against Sale having had surgery on his neck back in October.
Lam said: “It was a massive game for Thacks, it is always good to see players back. You never want to see players out for a long time and when they make it back it is at the end of a lot of effort.”
Speaking after the game, Thacker said he was understandably pleased to get back out on the field.
He said: “It has been a long time. It is nice just to be back involved. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the result we wanted but we will take a lot of learnings from that. We need to, myself included.
“It is good to be back out here and sharing this pitch with the boys."
And Thacker said the squad will have to quickly learn from Friday’s mistakes if they are going to have lift silverware at the end of the season.
He said: “Small mistakes cost you in big games and hopefully that will give us good learnings going into finals footy but we are going to have to learn fast.”
Lam also provided an injury update on Bristol captain Steven Luatua who was added to the club’s unavailable list on Friday.
While Lam chose not to reveal the former All Black’s injury, he said: “Stevie picked up a knock against Gloucester and the work we have done this season to get into this position [top of the table] affords us the opportunity to make sure he is 100 per cent.
“He is not far off, we have the option to bring him back either next week or the week after that.”
Winger Luke Morahan failed an HIA assessment in the second minute of the game against Sale after a collision with giant South African hooker Van der Merwe and will now have to undergo the return to play protocols.
Bristol Bears' latest unavailable list:
- Bryan Byrne
- George Kloska,
- Max Lahiff
- John Afoa
- James Dun
- Joe Joyce
- Steven Luatua
- Harry Randall
- Chris Cook
- Alapati Leiua
- Siva Naulago
- Niyi Adeolokun.
