Bristol Bears captain Steven Luatua is set to miss the start of the season with a calf injury sustained in training in a blow to Pat Lam’s side.
The former All Black flanker is a talisman for the Bears who have a markedly better win percentage with him in the side due to his impact on the game. But Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam admitted the 31-year-old, who was walking around in a protective moon boot, now looks set to miss the opening Premiership game against Bath on September 9.
Luatua endured an injury hit campaign in 2021/22 missing significant chunks of the season with a calf injury and then dislocated wrist.
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Speaking at the club’s opening training session at Ashton Gate ahead of facing the Dragons on Friday night in their second pre-season game, Lam said: “Stevie has been flying. It is probably the best I have seen him in pre-season. It is very frustrating, he was going to go to Brive [in the club’s 22-17 pre-season defeat], and then in the last session he strained his calf and at the moment he is probably not going to make the start of the season.
“He is on 99 games for the club and it is going to be his 100th game, we are hopeful but you never know with calves how long it is going to be.”
The Bears are well stocked with talent in the backrow with Fitz Harding, Dan Thomas, Jake Heenan and Magnus Bradbury to select from but Lam confirmed former Worcester Warriors and Ospreys flanker Sam Lewis is on trial at the club having been released by the Premiership side at the end of last season.
Lam said: “Sam has been in for a trial. He was let go last year and we got a phone call a couple of weeks ago to say he was willing to come in and have a trial with us so we have taken him in.
“He has been good. We will see how he goes this week. He got come game time last week against Brive and did really well and we will go from there.”
Bristol are set to name their squad to face Dragons on Friday night earlier on match day.
BristolLive will be live blogging the Bears’ second pre-season game from Rodney Parade giving you all the build-up, live play-by-play action, reaction and analysis from the match.
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