Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Tyack joins on trial and is straight into action
BRISTOL Bears have picked up former Worcester Warriors tighthead prop Jay Tyack on ‘a trial period’ with immediate effect.
Tyack, 26, may be on trial, but Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has named the forward on the bench for Bristol’s trip to Franklin’s Gardens in round eight of the Gallagher Premiership this afternoon.
The move comes just two days after Bristol confirmed the departure of tighthead Jake Armstrong after four and half seasons at the Bears.
It has since been confirmed that Armstrong has joined second-tier side Doncaster Knights, a club he has previously played for and was already on loan at this season.
Lam has added Tyack to his squad with Kyle Sinckler away on England duty throughout the Autumn Nations Series and with academy tighthead George Kloska on the unavailable list. Max Lahiff starts in the three jersey this weekend.
Tyack found himself out of work with Worcester going into administration, which resulted in the termination of every player’s contract.
Cornishman Tyack, who started his rugby career at Truro, and had spells with Launceston, St Ives, St Austell, Chinnor and Birmingham Moseley between two stints with the Cornish Pirates, joined Warriors in May 2021 and before that had a spell on loan with Gloucester Rugby during the 2020/21 season, making just one appearance for the Cherry & Whites from the bench in a European Champions Cup match.
Tyack is the second Worcester player picked up by Lam since their demise, joining lock Joe Batley at the club. Bristol have also signed Wasps scrum-half Will Porter in the last week following the Coventry club also going into administration and he too has been named on the bench to face Northampton.
Elsewhere in the squad, Chris Vui is set for his 100th competitive appearance against Saints.
The Samoan is named among the replacements as the Bears target a return to winning ways in the East Midlands.
Sam Lewis, yet another former Worcester man, will make his first league start of the season alongside Fitz Harding and Magnus Bradbury in the back row, with Joe Joyce captaining the side from the second row.
Jake Woolmore, Harry Thacker and Max Lahiff make up the front row, while at scrum-half there is a start for Andy Uren.
For Northampton, fly-half Fin Smith will make his debut in the Black, Green and Gold following his own departure from Worcester.
Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson makes eight changes in total to his line-up from last week’s defeat to Bath Rugby, with England Under-20 international George Hendy earning his first Premiership start at full-back.
Bristol Bears: C Piutau; L Morahan, P O’Conor, S Bedlow, H Purdy; C Sheedy, A Uren; J Woolmore, H Thacker, M Lahiff, J Batley, J Joyce (capt), M Bradbury, S Lewis, F Harding. Replacements: W Capon, Y Thomas, J Tyack, C Vui, J Heenan, W Porter, AJ MacGinty, J Bates.