Bristol Bears have added a trio of key players to their lengthy injury list following a bruising day both physically and for the ego in the 45-31 defeat to Northampton Saints last weekend.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam confirmed second-row skipper Joe Joyce, star full-back Charles Piutau and last weekend’s starting hooker Will Capon all suffered significant injuries at Franklin’s Gardens that look set to rule them out against Saracens on Saturday in Round Nine of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership.
Lam confirmed Joyce suffered a concussion and failed a head injury assessment following a knock in the first half on Saturday, which under the new protocols rules him out for at least the visit of the league leaders.
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Meanwhile, handsome and highly influential former All Black Charles Piutau has suffered a relatively grisly nose injury.
Lam explained: “Charles took studs right across his nose, broke his nose and opened it up a bit to he had some staples across there.
“He should have been with Tonga but now he is trying to get that sorted.”
Moving onto hooker Capon, who let out a groan of pain as he tried unsuccessfully to throw the ball in at the lineout moments after taking a big knock against Northampton, Lam divulged: “Will, unfortunately, looks to have done his labrum in his shoulder, we are just waiting on scans but he could be out for a while now.” In more colloquial terms that is a torn shoulder, a bad injury for any frontrow forward, but especially a hooker.
Lam continued: “The hooker, tighthead and half-backs because they are specialist positions, you have got to have enough cover there. Will has had a very good season, he has really stepped up this year which is really good; but having Harry Thacker back, having Bryan Byrne back, Jake Kerr in there, we have got enough coverage at the moment.”
Lam also revealed Toby Fricker, who was Bristol’s form winger at the end of last season, is out with a long-term injury, with former Worcester Warriors three-quarter Noah Heward brought in this week thanks to additional salary cap space for injury dispensations.
Bristol, like every team across the Premiership, will also be hit by international call-ups this month, with Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler away with England, Chris Vui with Samoa and AJ MacGinty is on international duty with the USA as the Eagles bid to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, playing Kenya, Hong Kong and Portugal.
Here is the club's latest official unavailable list that was released on Friday:
Ellis Genge, Aristot Benz-Salomon, Kyle Sinckler, Jonathan Benz-Salomon, George Kloska, Jake Kerr, Steven Luatua, Sam Jeffries, Harry Randall, Semi Radradra, Siva Naulago, Gabriel Ibitoye, Toby Fricker.
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