Former All Black tighthead prop John Afoa has confirmed the full extent of the injuries he picked up in pre-season with Bristol Bears.
Afoa, who turns 38 next week, has not featured this season as 2020/21 Premiership table-toppers have lost their first two games of the season to currently sit bottom of the table heading into Friday night’s derby with Bath Rugby at Ashton Gate.
His absence, along with that of England star Kyle Sinckler who is on his mandatory rest period after playing for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa this summer, has seen Max Lahiff and Jake Armstrong play at tighthead for Bristol in their opening defeats to Saracens and Wasps.
Previously Bears director of rugby Pat Lam released that Afoa had a calf injury and had taken a bang in pre-season, but the full extent of that ‘knock’ has now been revealed by the front-rower himself.
Speaking as a guest on The Rugby Pod on Tuesday [September 28], Afoa said: “I will hopefully be back in two more weeks.
“I fractured my face in an internal game we had in pre-season which always makes sense, trying to smoke some of your teammates. I cracked my eye socket in two different places but it is one of those things.
“I am hopefully back for either Quins [Friday, October 8] or Newcastle [Saturday, October 16] so that will be the target for me.”
Afoa, who has 36 caps for New Zealand and is considered one of the greatest foreign imports to ever play in the Gallagher Premiership, has one season left as a player.
This season, in addition to packing down for the Bears, he has taken on the additional duty of being the club’s scrum coach, replacing Alasdair Dickinson who has returned to Glasgow Warriors to take up the same position.
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