mens
Gallagher-Prime Minister
Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam has suffered another injury as his side look to defend their unbeaten start to the new season with their first ever win Saracens on Saturday at StoneX.
Lam discovered that England Star Benhard Janse van Rensburg has been ruled out for the next two weeks after clashing with Henry Pollock’s knee in their win over Northampton Saints at Ashton Gate last weekend.
Van Rensburg, the Bears’ talisman, will also miss the Champions Cup clash Stormers in Cape Town but should, along with Ellis Genge, return for the PREM comeback against Exeter Chiefs October 24.
Lam is confident his side, who have not beaten Sarries since a 16-12 victory at Ashton Gate in August 2020, have learned to deal with big-name injuries over the past 12 months.
“Benhard will probably take the next three weeks off. So he’ll be back from the HIA protocol. It was a big blow, so he’ll miss this week, next week, and should be back for Round 4 of PREM.”
“I was pleased when they told me he had to have at least a couple of weeks off. The last thing I want to do is mess with any of the players; they have to be ruled out completely.”
“So, no problem. The way I look at it, after last year, luckily, it’s just a few games. This is compared to the 8, 10, 12 injuries we’ve had all season, so this looks pretty easy.”
“We build the team around role clarity, so BV has a role, and he brings it into it. Then the next guy comes in and does the same role and brings it into it.
“I think, like last year, what we’ve learned is that there can be a natural drop-off because of the experience and depth you have in that group.
“But we have some good centers there that will step in, and they know that the role doesn’t change and what we expect from the center. They step in and do it.
“Our game is not built around BV. Our game is around BV’s specific role that he needs to do, and he does it brilliantly. We know that 100 per cent, but it’s not built around him,” he said.