Attwood in contention to make injury return against Saints
BRISTOL Bears’ availability situation continues to improve heading into round three of the Gallagher Premiership when Northampton Saints come to Ashton Gate.
Ahead of the opening game of the new season at Wasps, director of rugby Pat Lam listed off 16 players unavailable with either injury or on international duty, and that was down to 12 last weekend with Andy Uren, Mitch Eadie and Max Lahiff among those returning and it looks to be fewer again going into Friday night’s game.
Lock Dave Attwood, pictured, is in contention to play having recovered from a leg injury, while lock/flanker Chris Vui remains touch and go having failed a fitness test on his injured hand last weekend after being named in the starting side to face Worcester.
Fly-half Tiff Eden returned from a leg injury last weekend to make the matchday squad and looks to be rivalling Sam Bedlow for the No 10 jersey against Saints who will be missing their first-choice fly-half Dan Biggar to Wales.
Speaking about the injury situation, Lam said: “We picked up just bumps and bruises at the weekend because it is always very physical when you play Worcester, but nothing major which is great.
“Dave Attwood is a strong possibility for this weekend so we will see how he gets through the rest of the week, he is coming back.
“Next week (ahead of Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Champions Cup) is when the big cavalry really come back. Unfortunately, England are playing on Sunday so they (Ben Earl, Kyle Sinckler and Max Malins) won’t be back until late Monday night or Tuesday, so that is a bit of a hold up.”
England face France in the final of the Autumn Nations Cup, with head coach Eddie Jones set to name his matchday 23 at 11am tomorrow.
Lam added: “Semi Radradra is playing at 12 o’clock (on Saturday against Georgia) for Fiji and Callum (Sheedy) and Ioan (Lloyd) might possibly be involved this weekend as well; Wales are back in camp on Wednesday so we will get an idea on their availability then. Hopefully they are fully involved.”
Lloyd returned to play for his club last weekend and lit up Ashton Gate with a man-of-the-match display. His availability this week would come as a significant boost, with Wales taking on Italy at 4.45pm on Saturday.
Lam said he is expecting big things of the Fijians this weekend when they finally play in the Autumn Nations Cup, having been forced to forfeit their first three games of the tournament following an outbreak of Covid-19 in the camp which saw 90 per cent of the squad, including Bristol centre Radradra, contract the virus. Lam said: “Semi has been good. It is a real honour and a privilege for him to be captain of the team. Fiji will be hungry to go and keen to get going after all this time being up here and not playing, so I expect a strong performance from the Fijians.”
Meanwhile, another Fijian has arrived at Ashton Gate in the past week in the form of rugby league try scorer extraordinaire Siva Naulago who warmed up with the first team ahead of the 30-13 win over Worcester on Saturday and looks set to take the field this weekend in the Bears’ second back-to-back friendly with Championship side Ealing Trailfinders. A largely Bears academy side were beaten 38-10 by Ealing on Saturday night.