Bristol Bears are interested in signing one of Bath Rugby's most talented young players according to the latest reports.
The Rugby Paper, rather speculatively it seems, report Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam is interested in landing 21-year-old breakthrough star centre Max Ojomoh who has been Bath’s best player this season so far after just three games.
The centre and Bristol boss are reported to have had a long conversation pitchside after the Bears won their fifth straight derby game against Bath on Friday night, winning 25-20 at Ashton Gate.
Despite the result Ojomoh, who has been part of the Bath set-up since childhood as the son of former Blue, Black and White and England backrower Steve, put in another outstanding display as he showed his triple threat of attacking skills, running in a disallowed try, intelligently exploiting space with his astute midrange kicking game and opening up the defence with his handling.
England head coach Eddie Jones is certainly impressed with the youngster having brought him in to train with the senior national set-up this summer after just a handful of first team games for Bath.
However, when Scottish international Cam Redpath, also 21, returns in 2022 from an ACL knee injury, Bath are going to have two of the highest-rated young inside centres in the game competing for a place in their starting XV, along with 54-cap England international outside centre Jonathan Joseph.
Bristol Bears in contrast are still searching for a long term option at 12 with Siale Piutau leaving the club in the summer to move to Japan.
Lam was reported to have held talks with Gloucester star Mark Atkinson last season about a move down the M5 without anything materialising.
Piers O’Conor, Sam Bedlow, Alapati Leiua and new signing Antoine Frisch are all options at inside centre but yet to lay claim to the jersey.
The Rugby Paper reports Ojomoh is currently out of contract at The Rec at the end of the season and yet to agree a new deal with his value rising with every appearance at this rate as he scored his first Premiership try against Newcastle Falcons a week earlier.
Ojomoh is certain in Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper’s long term plans as part of his justification for allowing Fijian international centre Josh Matavesi to leave the club a week before the 2021/22 season kicked off was his faith in the youngster, calling him ‘Premiership ready,’ - a statement which has been more than vindicated so far.
Lam is certainly not afraid of raiding his local rivals for players having signed lock Dave Attwood, prop Max Lahiff and scrum-half Chris Cook since joining the club while he also sat down with Bath legend Matt Banahan about signing for the Bears before he moved to Gloucester on a longer contract offer.
In the short-term both Hooper and Lam are looking to bolster their squads immediately with the clubs sitting in the bottom two positions in the Premiership table, with Bath propping up the standings.
Hooper is in need of cover at scrum-half with Ben Spencer injured with a hamstring tear while Lam requires additional options at outside centre after confirming Fijian international captain Semi Radradra will have surgery on a knee injury this week and likely be sidelined until the end of January.
