Bristol Bears’ emotional leader Joe Joyce is in contention to make his playing return from shoulder surgery to feature against Bath Rugby in Friday night’s Gallagher Premiership opener.
Joyce has not played in any of Bristol’s three pre-season games in the last month but the carrot of the derby game has helped speed up his recovery according to Bears director of rugby Pat Lam.
"Joycey is on the selection table for this week," Lam told BristolLive. “He has come back from surgery, he had surgery at the end of last season on his shoulder but he has done really well.
“As soon as the draw came out he seemed to put a lot more effort into his rehab to try and beat it because he wants to be there on Friday night. We will see what happens this week but he has done really well and it is a credit to him and the medical team to fast-track his recovery. “It is s great motivator for a lot of these injured guys.”
WIth Dave Attwood leaving Bristol for Bath this summer, Joyce has an increasingly important presence in the Bears squad with Chris Vui, Morgan Eames, Ed Holmes and John Hawkins the other options in the engine room.
Bristol’s back row resources are looking a little light on the ground heading into weekend with Steven Luatua, Dan Thomas and Fitz Harding all likely to miss the Premiership opener.
Thomas rolled his ankle in the Bears’ second pre-season game against the Dragons and is touch and go to face Bath, but former All Blacks flanker Luatua and last season’s breakout star Fitz Harding will almost certainly be unavailable for the opening round.
Luatua pulled a calf in pre-season training while Fitz Harding is in the club’s return to play group of players.
That leaves Lam with Sam Jeffries, who toured Australia with England this summer in an illustration of his dramatic improvement since returning from serious knee injuries last summer, Scotland international Magnus Bradbury, Jake Heenan and John Hawkins as his senior backrow options, while released Worcester Warriors flanker Sam Lewis is on trial at the club.
England tighthead prop Kyle Sinckler came through his first game in five months without any problems having fully recovered from a painful herniated disc in his back.
He is expected to partner England loosehead prop Ellis Genge in the frontrow.
Elsewhere the likes of Semi Radradra are making a positive progression towards a return, “he is not too far off” Lam confirmed.
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