Bears linked with Saracens prop Vunipola
BRISTOL Bears director of rugby Pat Lam is reportedly investigating whether Saracens and England star Mako Vunipola would be open to a return to the city he started his professional career in.
Loosehead Vunipola, 30, is undoubtedly one of the finest players in his position in the world and there is a sense among fans he is one who got away having come through the youth set-up at Bristol Rugby a decade ago having been at Millfield School.
After breaking into the senior side and making more than 30 appearances for Bristol he was signed by Saracens in 2011 and has since gone on to win four Premiership titles with the North London club in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 and also helped them win the European Champions Cup in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Vunipola made his England debut in 2012 and has since gone on to earn 67 caps for England, who he qualifies for through residency having been born in New Zealand to Tongan parents, and a further nine caps for the British and Irish Lions over three tours including this summer in South Africa.
The Rugby Paper reports Mako Vunipola is out of contract at the end of the season and his CV is currently circulating in France with Lam also interested in strengthening his options at loosehead.
Bristol’s loosehead options are currently Yann Thomas, Jake Woolmore and Max Lahiff - who can play on both sides of the scrum.
Former hooker George Klosa is also converting into a loosehead prop but has yet to make a senior appearance there.
It would not be the first time Lam has looked to bring a former Bristol star back to the club having returned both Dave Attwood and Mitch Eadie to the club they started at and in 2019 he made an offer to Leicester Tigers captain and England star Ellis Genge to come back to South West.
Genge opted to stay in Leicester as
Lam’s wage offer is understood to be less than he was already making at Welford Road. Since making the decision to stay in Leicester he has firmly established himself as the cornerstone of the league leader’s squad.
While there is no mention of it in the initial report from The Rugby Paper, it has been widely reported that if Mako Vunipola were to go to France he would want to do so in a joint deal with his England international, and Saracens teammate, brother Billy Vunipola. With Nathan Hughes out of favour in BS3 that perhaps opens up the possibility of both Vunipola’s becoming Bears.