Pat Lam has shown the extraordinary faith he has in the talents of teenager Ioan Lloyd by throwing the Welsh international in at fly-half for Friday night’s derby game against Bath Rugby.
Despite Welsh international number ten Callum Sheedy being available for selection for the clash at Ashton Gate, Lam has opted to hand Lloyd his first Gallagher Premiership start at stand off.
Sheedy, who has been away with Wales in an international training camp for most of the week, will start on the bench.
It bodes well for Lloyd with Sheedy likely to be away for six of the next seven weekends on Six Nations duty.
Until now Lloyd has only started at full back or on the wing in Gallagher Premiership, but his first senior outing for the Bristol at fly-half in last season’s European Challenge Cup saw him named man of the match with a stunning 22-point performance, including a try, to help beat Zebre 59-21 and set the club on their way to lifting the trophy 12 months later.
Speaking about Lloyd in midweek, Bears director of rugby Pat Lam said: “Fly-half is his No1 position. He can play full-back but ten is his main position”
While Lloyd made his international debut for Wales in the Autumn Nations Cup against Georgia, before earning a second cap against Italy, he was left out by national head coach Wayne Pivac last week when he announced his squad for the 2021 Guinness Six Nations.
But Lam said Lloyd has shown no signs of disappointment and has a long international career ahead of him having become Bristol’s youngest ever international at 19 years and 230 days old, beating the 45-year-old club record held by the supremely talented sportsman Alastair Hignell who was 49 days older when he played for England against Australia.
Lam explained: “Wayne has made the right choice
“The clarity as a 19-year-old going in was for them to get a look at him and for him to get a taste of what is there, but remember they have got some world-class players there as well.
“Ioan was able to go and experience what it is, get to know the Alun Wyn Joneses, the Liam Williams and he loved it.
“It was a taste of it but there it’s only part of his development. Like when we played him in the Bath game when he first came up and he was just out of school, that’s not that he has made it. All it has done is aided in his development.
"He is going to be a world-class player but all of these moments are part of that journey.”
“The good thing is he got a taste, knew the things he did well. Wayne was very clear with him what he did well but he was also clear with him and with us about what he wanted him to improve on. There is no doubt that he is going to be back.”
Lloyd was told to work on his defence and go back to his club and put a run of games together to earn a place on Wales’ summer tour. Pat Lam looks to have obliged with his selection, with potentially the future of Welsh rugby goes head to head with its past in 50-cap Rhys Priestland who is in some of the best form of his career despite turning 34 this month.
Bristol Bears: 15. Charles Piutau; 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Semi Radradra, 12. Piers O’Conor, 11. Henry Purdy; 10. Ioan Lloyd, 9. Andy Uren; 1. Jake Woolmore, 2. Bryan Byrne, 3. John Afoa, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Chris Vui, 6. Steven Luatua (c), 7. Dan Thomas, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: 16. Will Capon, 17. Yann Thomas, 18. Jake Armstrong, 19. Ed Holmes, 20. Jake Heenan, 21. Tom Kessell, 22. Callum Sheedy, 23. Alapati Leiua.
Bath Rugby: 15. Tom de Glanville, 14. Ruaridh McConnochie, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Josh Matavesi, 11. Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 10. Rhys Priestland, 9. Ben Spencer; 1. Juan Schoeman, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Christian Judge, 4. Josh McNally (C), 5. Elliott Stooke, 6. Josh Bayliss, 7. Miles Reid, 8. Zach Mercer
Replacements: 16. Jack Walker, 17. Jamie Bhatti, 18. Henry Thomas, 19. Mike Williams, 20. Taulupe Faletau, 21. Will Chudley, 22. Cameron Redpath, 23. Joe Cokanasiga.
