Star England loosehead prop Ellis Genge is set to make his second Bristol Bears debut on Friday night as the club kick off the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season at home against Bath Rugby.
Genge returned to his hometown club this summer after six years at Leicester Tigers, leaving the East Midlands club as captain and a Premiership champion.
Ahead of the season opener, Bristol’s coaching team have come to an agreement with England and the Professional Game Management Board to be able to get the club’s star summer signing run out for one of their biggest games of the season.
READ MORE: 'A lot of guys have put their hands up' - Pat Lam pleased with competition for spots to face Bath
England players who toured Australia this summer, and played in the Tests, must have a mandatory 10 weeks of rest off, but while the popular conception is that means consecutive weeks following the tour, Bears director of rugby Pat Lam explained the process is in fact far more nuanced than that, allowing Genge, scrum-half Harry Randall and flanker Sam Jeffries all to be in selection contention to face derby rivals Bath having spent their summers Down Under.
Lam said: “You have to put in your plan for them and proposals, and each club is different.
“You apply to the game management board which is in partnership with PRL and the RPA.
“We put a plan in for Ellis and it started on the basis that he arrived here and saw the first game and said: ‘It is non-negotiable. I am playing that game. No one is stopping me playing that game.’"
“That was his mindset, so then we had to put a plan in place about how we would manage his game time going into November and then going into the Six Nations. I was able to share that with Eddie [Jones, England head coach] and he was very happy, and then it went to the game management board and they all signed it off.
“Ellis is highly excited for the game and there are still a few seats left if people want to so the impact he will make for Bristol on his homecoming.”
Discussing the impact the 39-cap England international has already had since arriving at Bristol for a short pre-season, Lam said: “Phenomenal is the word. His actions first and foremost, followed by very calm words that match the actions. But more importantly, he has enjoyed himself because he has come home really.
“He has already been out and about in the community. It is good to have him back.”
While Genge has not featured in any of the Bears’ preseason games against Brive, Dragons and Scarlets, he looks set to join England’s first-choice tighthead prop Kyle SInckler in the front row at Ashton Gate on Friday.
Sinckler has recovered from a herniated disc in his back and made his first appearance since April in the 34-28 win over the Scarlets on Friday.
Jake Woolmore and Yann Thomas are Lam’s other likely options to choose from at loosehead with Max Lahiff set to feature off the bench covering tighthead.
As always the front row and scrum will be a key battleground and Bath’s potentially have an all-international front row of their own to call upon with loosehead Beno Obano back fit from an ACL injury last season, England hooker Tom Dunn fit and Will Stuart in the squad.
Stuart essentially replaced the rested Sinckler as first choice tighthead in England’s three-match series against the Wallabies and his availability for the opening day fixture is currently unknown.
Summer signing Aranos Coetzee, Kieran Verden and Johannes Jonker have run out at tighthead for Bath in the club's pre-season wins over Championship sides Coventry and Jersey Reds.
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