Former England international Nathan Hughes has an opportunity to earn back the number eight jersey at Bristol Bears with standout performances in the Premiership Rugby Cup, according to assistant coach Conor McPhillips.
Hughes, 30, started at the back of the scrum in Bristol’s opening two losses of the season to Saracens to Wasps before becoming the highest-profile player to be dropped following the club’s disappointing start to the 2021/22 campaign.
The 22-cap England international did play off the bench in the defeat away at Harlequins but only after being drafted in late in the day following Steven Luatua’s late withdrawal with a calf injury. Since then he has been a travelling reserve.
While the Premiership Rugby Cup is traditionally largely used as a development competition to bring through young players, Hughes looks set to be given an opportunity to earn his way back into the reckoning on Saturday away at Exeter Chiefs, and then next weekend against Worcester Warriors.
Speaking in midweek ahead of the game, McPhillips said: “I think Nathan was disappointed with his performances at the start of the season and then you give someone else an opportunity, and as we have seen Fitz Harding has grabbed that with both hands.
“Nathan is his usual bubbly self, if he is not in the team he drives the opposition team to try and prepare the side for the weekend.
“Nathan will get opportunities in the next few weeks.
“He has been training hard, he has been himself and hopefully that is the player we will see in the next two weeks.
“He will get an opportunity and hopefully if he performs he will get himself back on the selection table."
Exeter look set to start their big up and coming number eight Rus Tuima at number eight on Saturday setting up a fascinating head-to-head battle between two Fijian-born heavyweight carriers.
McPhillips’ message to everyone involved in the next couple of weeks is the chance to earn a place to face Northampton Saints at the end of the month in Round Nine of the Gallagher Premiership is up for grabs.
He said: “The guys are told if you train hard and do what is asked of you, perform in the week and then perform at the weekend then you get another opportunity.
“We have got guys who have played a lot of rugby, we have got guys with niggles and then we have got guys who need a bit of rugby so there will definitely be a mix of players.
“There will be young guys in, there will be a few experienced guys, but the overriding feeling this week is when those guys get the opportunity they know if they perform they will keep that jersey.
“We have seen that this season with guys like Sam Jeffries, Fitz Harding and Toby Fricker - these guys have come in and performed in the Premiership and kept their jerseys.”
While the Bears will use the competition to give fringe players an opportunity to play senior rugby, McPhillips made it clear the club are looking to build on the momentum they have gained from back-to-back Premiership wins against London Irish and Worcester.
He said: “We want to continue
“We have come off two Premiership wins, and whenever someone puts on a Bears jersey it is about putting in a performance and trying to get that win.
“The team we pick every weekend we believe can win and as you have seen at the start of the season we may not have had our perceived strongest side available but guys have come in and taken their opportunity and made the jersey their own.
“We definitely want to keep our winning form going and carry that through to the next block of Premiership games.”
