Joe Joyce may have played his final game for Bristol Bears with Pat Lam admitting the injury he sustained at Leicester Tigers last weekend is likely to rule him out for the rest of the season.
Joyce suffered a hyperextended elbow in the closing stages of the warm-up at Welford Road and had to be taken out of the matchday squad before kick-off as the Bears were beaten 46-24.
The King of Southmead is ending his nine-year reign at his hometown club this summer to fulfil a dream of playing in Ireland by signing for Connacht. With just three Premiership regular games and up to four in Europe remaining, the severity of this latest injury and the expected recovery time is likely to take him beyond the final day of the 2022/23 campaign, leaving him on 164 appearances for the club.
It’s a devastating blow for the 29-year-old and the team as a whole, with Lam admitting Joyce has been left “gutted” but he will still have a part of play in the dressing room, while, in the short term, with the visit of Clermont to Ashton Gate in the Challenge Cup on Friday, the Bears are battling an injury crisis at second row.
Ed Holmes had already been ruled out for the season, while Joe Batley continues to recover from an ankle problem, but could be back in time for the Bears next Premiership encounter with Sale on April 14.
That leaves Chris Vui as Lam’s only fit senior lock, with the expectation that Magnus Bradbury or Steven Luatua will likely have to fill in against Clermont, although Lam did hint that academy star Charlie Rice is also in the selection conversation.
“We lost Ed Holmes for the season and then Joe Batley against Quins, and then we were down to Joe and Chris and we thought we’d be okay with those two because Magnus and Stevie, at a pinch, could step in there but we planned on Joycey and Chrissy going for 80 minutes; let alone five minutes before (kick-off), Joycey doing that injury,” Bears director of rugby Lam said.
“Unfortunately it looks like it’s quite serious and I think Joycey will be struggling to play for the rest of the season which is a huge disappointment for him and us as a group. He’ll have some impact off the field and help the other guys.
“It doesn’t take away from what he’s achieved at Bristol and what he’s achieved in his career so far, it’s just part of the rugby journey and part of life, unfortunately. He’s gutted, obviously, but this is what makes you stronger as a rugby player and a person.
“We’re very low on locks, but we have some of the back row who can cover it. Charlie Rice is back from injury as well, so he comes into the mix. Young Joe Owen from the academy is coming on as well. But certainly it’s a big loss - Holmes, Batley, Joyce.”
Winger Siva Naulago has been passed fit for Friday’s round of 16 clash along with hooker Harry Thacker who jarred his knee at Leicester but is in contention to play at Ashton Gate, but Max Lahiff is out after failing a HIA (Head Injury Assessment).
The Bears will also be without flanker Sam Lewis who made his recovery from an ankle injury at Leicester only to last six minutes before sustaining a separate problem in the joint, which means his participation for the rest of the campaign is likely to be over.
“Unfortunately Sam’s got syndesmosis in his ankle,” Lam added. “I feel sorry for Sam, he’s just got back; he started off and he flew into some big tackles and unfortunately one of the players fell back in a tackle onto his ankle and it got trapped underneath, so it’s just that unlucky injury that he’s got, so Sam will be struggling for the rest of the season as well.”
