Bristol Bears are down to one fit available senior fly-half this Friday night against Wasps following confirmation Welsh international Ioan Lloyd has been ruled out with an ankle injury for at least four weeks.
Bristol’s first choice number 10 Callum Sheedy is set to feature for Wales against Italy this weekend in the Six Nations and second choice Max Malins is with England ahead of France on Saturday.
Lloyd is third choice for the Bears, but a very able one at that, while Sam Bedlow - who was moved in from centre to stand-off during the Autumn - is serving the final game of his three match ban for a dangerous tip tackle in the 34-34 draw with London Irish.
That leaves director of rugby Pat Lam with fifth choice Tiff Eden and asking players to put their hand up to play out of position in the pivotal playmaking role; full back Charles Piutau, centre Piers O’Conor and scrum half Andy Uren are three men who have offered their services.
Lam said: “We have got a real challenge this week. Callum has now gone back to Wales, Max Malins is away, Ioan his ankle looks like it is going to be four weeks minimum so he is gone, Sam Bedlow is suspended - that’s four tens out.
“We have got Tiff Eden left and we are just looking around to see who wants to cover 10, a few are trying to put their hands up.
“We will find a way to get through it like we did last week.
“What I love is the guys stepping up and offering to cover in different positions.
“We are strong in some areas and will work our game around that.”
Eden has played just 63 minutes of first team rugby for the Bears in the 2020/21 campaign with an hour of that coming in his only start in the 18-17 victory over Northampton Saints back in December.
Lam said Eden, 26, who was signed from Nottingham Rugby back in the summer of 2018, now needs to prove he can cut it in high pressure situations.
Lam said: “Tiff has played a couple of games and it is about him leading and calling the shots and working with the guys around him.
“His game will be better served with everyone around him doing their jobs.
“Tiff has got a very good kicking game, his goal kicking is very good and that is going to be important for us this week.
“He needs to trust the system and fit with the guys around him.”
Meanwhile scrum half Uren might be asked to dig his kicking tee out from the back of his locker this weekend Lam revealed.
He said: “Andy Uren can goal kick so he will probably have to put some work into that this week because that is the other side of it because Charles can’t goal kick, the only next guy available who can goal kick is Andy.”
With even promising academy fly-half Tom Wilstead sidelined with a groin injury and Siale Piutau still not ready to return from a shoulder issue, Lam has brought 18-year-old sixth former Jac Lloyd, the younger brother of Ioan, to train with the side this week alongside his studies at Clifton College.
Jac is currently a member of the club’s U18s academy and like his brother is highly thought of, having already agreed to join Bristol’s integrated academy this season.
The highly talented running 10, who has trained with Wales U18s, is seen as the perfect fit for Bristol’s running style of rugby with incredible natural flair to his game.
Lam said: “We have got Ioan’s younger brother Jac who is still at Clifton College in our academy and he is going to be with us when he is not at school.
“I will see how he goes this week, it is a big challenge to come right in. He is a real talent, similar to Ioan and we will see how the week goes.
“He has got some skills.
“Ioan like a good older brother will say he is better, Jac like a good younger brother will say he is better.
“We will find out if he can handle the physicality of it this week.”
