Pat Lam will continue to evaluate Nathan Hughes’ loan to Bath on a game-by-game basis but the back row forward is expected to return to Bristol Bears, at the latest, by mid-April unless there is a change in the agreement.
Hughes was loaned out to Bears’ West Country rivals in January as had fallen out of favour in terms of Lam’s first XV and his only minutes were for the A-team and even a solitary appearance in the Championship for Hartpury.
The England international’s time at the Rec has enabled him to raise and maintain his match fitness to an optimum level, meaning that when he does return to Ashton Gate he’ll be match-ready. Although, such is the quirk of the fixture list with Hughes ineligible to face his parent club in either the Premiership or Premiership Cup and then Bath experiencing a bye week, he’s not played since February 26.
Given the Bears’ injury struggles, particularly since the turn of the year, Lam has the recall option should the situation mean that he’s short in the back row but the 30-year-old could be back for the Champions Cup Round of 16 against Sale on April 15 and then the final four Premiership games of the campaign.
“At the moment, all the guys we loan, there’s always a call-back,” Lam said. “The reason for loaning is to get guys game time. Obviously each player comes off the wage bill as well but as you come to the end (of the season), you want as many guys playing.
“You can’t afford not to have guys playing rugby for a while and the agreement was to get Nate game time at Bath, like Jake (Armstrong) at Edinburgh who had Leinster and Munster and was able to come back and fit straight in.
“We’re in contact the whole time. At the moment, we set down a date to mid-April, but every week you just check it; you never know what you’ll face until after you finish your game.
“So, come the end of the Saracens game, we’ll look at it: ‘did everyone get through? Is everyone okay?’ And so forth. When you look at our back row option, we’re still well-covered.”
Hughes is one of the more high-profile figures in the Bears squad whose contract expires this summer and is sure to be subject to significant interest around the Premiership.
The delicate nature of salary cap management, following the league-wide reduction from £6.4m to £5m for this season in the wake of Covid-19, means the Bears have to be increasingly careful and frugal in their squad planning.
As a result, Hughes’ salary coupled with his lack of playing time in 2021/22 means he simply hasn’t provided the necessary value to justify an extension, although Lam, while not wanting to name individuals, insists that process is ongoing.
“They (conversations with players) normally start in September last year,” Lam added. “Everyone who’s coming off contract, we work on a traffic light principle - you could turn green at any moment, from the moment you have a year to go, and that’s normally judged by performance - Harry Randall was extended nice and early, it was the same with Chris Vui - and supply and demand, because normally when you go in early it’s because a lot of people are interested.
“Some people are still in that amber stage, as you weigh up performance, you weigh up the salary cap. All directors of rugby have this challenge, the reduction in the salary cap has put pressure on everyone.
“People are seeing stalwarts of clubs moving. It doesn’t necessarily mean the DoR or the coaching team want to move that player but the reality is, if the salary cap is what it was two years ago, you’d keep them.
“It’s all on the table until the end of the year and that’s (decisions on players) not something that’s public, that’s between the player and the club.”
