Steven Luatua and Sam Jeffries will both play again this season, assistant coach Conor McPhillips confirmed today.
Both flankers left the pitch with injuries in the first half of Bristol Bears’ 38-29 home defeat to Harlequins on Sunday, with former All Black Luatua suffering a dislocated wrist and Jeffries a blow to the knee.
McPhillips said: “With both Stevie and Sam Jeffries, they came off early after scoring tries on Sunday, but both will be back before the end of the season.
“At the moment it is just about working through with the medics to get a timeline.
“Initially, we were pretty worried, but I think now there is some good news within the bad news and they will play again before the end of the season.”
Jeffries missed a couple of years of playing due to knee problems, stepping into a back-office role at the club before surprisingly being named as part of the playing squad again last summer, but McPhillips was quick to reassure that this impact injury is unrelated to his previous issues.
He said: “It was an impact injury, as he was scoring a guy just fell on his leg and it went a way it didn’t want to go. Sam has actually been back up and running this week so it is not as bad as first feared but I just can’t give you a time frame on his return right now.”
After losing two backrowers to injuries, Bristol Live understands the Bears will recall Nathan Hughes from his loan to Bath Rugby imminently with the former England international number eight likely to return at the start of April.
Bath are understood to have been looking to extend Hughes’ loan until the end of the season but he is now needed back at Ashton Gate.
However, unusually Hughes could line up against his parent club on Friday night in the Premiership Rugby Cup when Bath take on Bristol, with the two clubs coming to an arrangement that would allow him to play in the blue, black and white stripes with Bath’s on loan scrum-half Max Green playing for the Bears.
Bristol still have just two fit senior scrum-halves available in Green and Theo Strang with Harry Randall away with England, Andy Uren and Tom Whiteley both out with hamstring issues, Toby Venner injuring his knee and Oscar Lennon struggling with a calf problem.
Discussing his selection for Friday night’s cup game, McPhillips said: “The team will be a mix of players who need rugby and young guys as well.
“We have got some good depth in some positions and it is about getting guys some competitive rugby and we have got injuries in other positions so it is about guys playing and getting ready for Premiership rugby and the Champions Cup.
“It is about getting everyone up to speed and being competitive in this competition.”
Bristol have won one game and lost another so far in the 2021/22 Premiership Rugby Cup to sit fourth in Pool 1 but could advance with victories over Bath and Gloucester this month.
