Bristol Bears back row star Sam Jeffries is due to visit a specialist to outline the extent of his hamstring injury with Pat Lam reluctant to bring in any external reinforcements just yet.
Jeffries exited the closing stages of Bears’ 23-8 win over Wasps last Saturday with a hamstring injury which Lam branded “heart-breaking” such has been the 29-year-old’s start to the new season and with England’s November internationals on the horizon.
Speaking on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s clash against London Irish at Ashton Gate, the Bears director of rugby admits Jeffries requires further scans but there is some hope that it’s not as bad as first considered.
Citing Tom Whiteley’s injury in February, which kept the scrum-half out for the final three months of the season, Jeffries’ ability to leave the field of his own accord, even wanting to play on before the coaching staff intervened, has given some reason for optimism over his prospects.
“It is his hamstring but we haven’t got the exact time when he’ll be back, how long he’ll take,” Lam said. “I think the hopeful thing was, when Tom Whiteley did his last year, he couldn’t walk, so had to be carried off. For Sam, we actually had to call him to get him off the field. So hopefully it’s not as bad as what Tom had last year.
“For me, it’s not my concern now. The medical team take over and they crack on. All I need to know is if a player is available this weekend, I focus on that and I’ll leave all the unavailable guys to our performance team.
"He's a big leader around here so he'll be missed but, like every other injury that we've had, the next guy steps up, does the job."
With Sam Lewis also out of action due to an ankle issue, Steven Luatua out until December, no development on Fitz Harding's possible return and Dan Thomas approaching full fitness but still probably a week away as he undergoes further tests, the Bears are looking especially light in the back row but while Lam is keeping his options open, there’s no appetite just yet for adding another body to the squad and the wage bill.
Lam has indicated that he’s more likely to look to resources in the academy as potential bench cover, unless Lewis and Jeffries do face extended time on the sidelines and the Bears are then simply unable to fulfil a fixture due to a lack of numbers in that area of the field.
“You’re constantly looking at it but unless someone’s going to come straight into our team, you don’t go there,” Lam added. “Ultimately, Chris Vui can play in the back row, and is world class in that position, then we have Magnus (Bradbury), hoping DT (will be back soon), and I’ve got a lot of confidence with some of the academy boys.
“Certainly we are low on the back row but we’re okay at the moment. A lot of people think, just go and get another one but then the quality of what’s available and you have to ask yourself, ‘is that better than anyone coming through?’
“But you get to a point, as some do, when you have to bring somebody in because otherwise you can’t have a game; if you get to a point where there’s only three, and you need four, you have got to get someone.
“At the moment, you’re always weighing up the person that’s available versus the salary cap versus the ability to go straight in or not.
But, as I always say, recruitment never sleeps; I have people working for me, looking at everything available but everything goes into that equation before you push the button.”
Lam has confirmed that Ellis Genge is back in contention to start against London Irish having sat out the trip to Wasps due to the schedule the Bears have agreed with Eddie Jones and England over managing the prop’s minutes to ensure he’s at optimum level for the November internationals and Six Nations.
