Lam not ruling out a dip into the transfer market
PAT Lam may still turn to the transfer market to strengthen his squad at tighthead prop ahead of the start of next season following the departure of former All Black prop John Afoa.
Remarkably, despite being 38, Afoa has signed a two-year deal to play on at French ProD2 side RC Vannes having split his time between the pitch and coaching dugout at the Bristol this season.
The Bears of course have England and British and Irish Lions star Kyle Sinckler as their first choice in the number three jersey, but with his international commitments likely to see him miss potentially half of the club season in 2022/23, and with props very rarely playing a full 80 minutes anyway, strength in depth at the cornerstone of the pack is both vital and a potential problem area for the club.
Behind Sinckler in the depth chart for next season is Max Lahiff, who like newly arriving Leeds Beckett University prop Rhys Charalambous can play both sides of the scrum, along with Jake Armstrong, hooker convert George Kloska and new signing Jonathan Benz-Salomon.
Speaking to Bristol Live, Bears director of rugby Lam said: “We have got a big group there with a lot of up and coming players, obviously with Kyle Sinckler there as well and Max Lahiff is very experienced.
“Jake Armstrong had probably his best season in terms of durability and getting opportunities and he is just turning 28 which is when props reach their peak years.
“We have got Rhys coming into the big time as well and I think Jonny Benz Saloman is a player who can play on both sides and he and his twin brother are two players I am really excited by.”
On May 17, Lam confirmed his squad for the 2022/23 season, with 30 forwards and 25 backs for next season’s campaign, with eight of those players in the senior academy but integrated into the first squad.
Essentially that means the Bears have a 47-man senior squad with 12 players coming in and 11 departing.
Leaving are Afoa and Alapati Leiua who will join French Pro D2 side RC Vannes. Dave Attwood makes the switch to Bath while Antoine Frisch has joined Irish province Munster. Mitch Eadie, Nathan Hughes (Clermont), Tiff Eden, Niyi Adeolokun, Theo Strang, Joe Cotton and Ashley Challenger will also move on.
In-coming are England prop Ellis Genge, USA fly-half AJ MacGinty, Scottish backrower Magnus Bradbury, Hartpury centre James Williams, former Harlequins winger Gabriel Ibitoye. Also added to the Bears squad are loanee full-back Rich Lane who has also joined on a permanent deal from Bedford, BUCS Super Rugby front row trio Fred Davies, Martin Mulhall and Charalambous, Hartpury scrum Oscar Lennon and front row twins Jono and Toti Benz-Salomon - also both from Championship side Hartpury.
Lam said: “This squad we have announced is only confirmed as of today. As I always say we are still looking, recruitment is on-going.
“Across the board, I am still open to looking at other players to come in but there is a good stable of players at tighthead.”
The ‘free agents’ market certainly looks set to have some top talent in it this summer, with the Rugby Players’ Association reporting this week that it expects 70 Premiership players will find themselves without a contract for next season come the end of June.
Bristol’s Eadie and Challenger are reported to be amongst the pool of players out of work this summer along with former England internationals Mike Brown and Luther Burrell, and proven Premiership performers Marcus Watson, Rob Miller and Nick Auterac as clubs are forced to confront the £5m reduced salary cap head on as deals done under the previous £6.3m cap expire.