Bristol Bears are set to welcome back a missing piece of the puzzle in their backrow against Newcastle Falcons with Sam Jeffries fit to return to action.
Flanker Jeffries, who can also play lock, was cruelly injured in the 80th minute of Bristol’s second game of the season away at Wasps when he suffered a horrible hamstring injury that required surgery.
To make matters worse Bristol’s 23-8 win at the Coventry Building Society Arena was then scrubbed off after Wasps went into administration and dropped out of the Premiership.
The incredibly athletic Jeffries has seen his career plagued by injuries, taking a couple of years out the game to recover from knee issues.
But in the summer of 2021, Bristol made the shock announcement that Jeffries, who was kept on at the club in a back office role helping players prepare for life after rugby, was making his playing return.
His form during the 2021/22 season caught the eye of then England head coach Eddie Jones who called him in to train with the senior national team and flew the Bristol man out to Australia in the summer as a late injury replacement for Bath’s Charlie Ewels who injured his ACL in training.
Jeffries failed to get a cap but his selection was an indication of the form the Bristol man had reached despite playing in a struggling Bears side.
His return to the Bristol backrow provides a welcome boost, with Dan Thomas also excelling in the Bears' 43-19 Premiership Rugby Cup win over Sale Sharks earlier this month, and Sam Lewis returning from injury in recent weeks to add to the likes of Magnus Bradbury, Steven Luatua, Fitz Hardling and Jake Heenan.
