Siale back for semi-final but injury rules out his brother
BWe’ve looked at them and seen that they aren’t typically French – if anything, they are a bit more English (in style)
RISTOL enter their biggest game of the season without Charles Piutau after their star full-back was ruled out of tonight’s European Challenge Cup semi-final with Bordeaux (7.45pm).
Piutau has succumbed to an ongoing Achilles injury, creating an opportunity for loanee Max Malins in the No 15 jersey as the Bears look to secure their first European final appearance.
Returning at inside centre, however, is Piutau’s elder brother Siale, who has completed a three-match ban for punching and forges a midfield partnership with explosive Fijian Semi Radradra.
Boss Pat Lam has made five changes to the side that thumped the Dragons 56-17 in quarter-finals a week ago, among them Ed Holmes displacing Dave Attwood in the second row. Once the Dragons had been over-run, Lam gave his players the weekend off and then told them not to come in on Tuesday because of the sharpness they had displayed in training a day earlier.
Lam says his side will need raise their game to the next level tonight.
The Bears enjoyed a seven-try victory over Dragons in the previous round, but the director of rugby has warned the leaders of the curtailed 2019-20 Top 14 season will pose a huge challenge.
“It’s all very well making a quarter-final, but ultimately with the goal of trying to win the trophy, you need to progress to the next steps. So, while it was a good performance, we quickly moved on and we have another step in the process to try and get to the final, which gives us that chance to play for the trophy.
“It’s an important game, it’s another step up – Bordeaux is another level and a quality side, so we’ve trained and prepared accordingly.
“Bordeaux were leading the Top 14 before Covid and going really well, and post-Covid they’ve restarted well too and they had a very good win against a strong Edinburgh side and we know there is quality in their team as well.
“We’re under no illusions as to how tough this game will be. While people might make us favourites and think that we’ll make it, we’ve got to do the work and to do that we’ve got to get our training done well and prepare well.
“We’ve looked at them and seen that they aren’t typically French – if anything, they are a bit more English (in style).
“They’ve got a good kicking
game, without a doubt they’ve got threats – however, we’ve talked about their kicking game and making sure we are in the air, competing against the contestable kicks, but also making sure that we don’t give them too much space in that backfield.”
Bristol Bears: Max Malins; Luke Morahan, Semi Radradra, Siale Piutau, Alapati Leiua; Callum Sheedy, Harry Randall; Jake Woolmore, Harry Thacker, Kyle Sinckler, Ed Holmes, Chris Vui, Steven Luatua, Ben Earl, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Will Capon, Yann Thomas, John Afoa, Joe Joyce, Dan Thomas, Andy Uren, Ioan Lloyd, Piers O’Conor.