The King of Southmead, Joe Joyce, is the emotional leader of the Bristol Bears and as such his departure for Connacht at the end of next season could have seen this side's heart ripped out.
But crucially a transplant from another passionate man of Bristol has already been secured to soften the blow.
Towering second row Joyce, who got his nickname due to sharing his name with a legendary bare nuckles boxer, known as the ‘King of the Gypsies’, is the most Bristolian of Bristol players, in all the best ways.
The homegrown giant of a man is the very definition of a people’s champion, he is the man living out the dreams of children from every suburb of the city, from every amateur rugby club and because of that he is loved and adored by those packing into Ashton Gate in record numbers.
READ MORE: Bristol Bears fan favourite Joe Joyce explains why he will leave his hometown club
During more than a decade at the club Joyce has won over his doubters, who seemed to include Lam when he first arrived in 2017 with the club having just been relegated back into the Championship after a disappointing Premiership campaign.
The pair’s relationship started discouragingly as Lam was quick to bring in second-row signings to cover a perceived area of weakness in the Bristol squad.
That was until he arrived in the South West and got a measure of the Joyce’s rugby abilities, but most importantly his character.
In came Samoan captain Chris Vui, in came former England international Dave Attwood amongst others.
But Joyce has prevailed to regularly captain the side this season just gone as his ability to drive the team emotionally, combined with his playing ability, is a vital, undefinable, unbottleable quality that is so valuable in team sport.
As such, Joyce’s departure in 2023/24, after one more season for the Premiership side, risked being a crippling blow to the club’s ambitions of being one of the best sides in Europe had it not been for one astute and now utterly crucial piece of recruitment already completed - the signing of world-class Bristolian loosehead prop Ellis Genge.
Genge returns to his former club a conquering hero having led Leicester Tigers to an epic 15-12 victory over Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership final to further enhance his credentials. The frontrow’s signing was always a coup for Lam, to bring in a 36-cap England international, who at 27 is in his absolute prime, to partner another superstar of the game in Kyle Sinckler was always a statement move.
But Genge’s signing has now just become so much more than a statement, it has become vital as the dynamic prop looks set to inherit the ‘emotional leader’ throne left by Joyce when he joins Connacht.
Genge, who left Bristol for Leicester five years ago after a training ground bust-up with then head coach Andy Robinson, has proven himself as a leader for club and country, taking Tigers to the summit of domestic rugby this season while also being named a vice-captain of England by national team head coach Eddie Jones.
While Lam would not be drawn on whether Genge would be brought into his leadership group at the club next season when asked about the prop’s arrival this summer, it seems highly probable that he will, joining the likes of Steven Luatua in guiding the side.
But crucially, whether he is wearing the metaphorical armband or not, like Joyce, Genge will provide leadership with his actions and the good news for Bristol fans is the 2022/23 season will see the two old friends packing down together looking to earn Bristol a first Premiership title.
The King is dead (well not yet), long live the King.
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