Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam has issued an update on two of his Welsh stars following his side’s win over SaleBoshoff suffered an injury setback during the warm-up against Sale(Image: Simon Galloway/Getty Images)

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has issued an update on Welsh duo Aidan Boshoff and Louis Rees-Zammit after they suffered setbacks against Sale Sharks on Friday night.

Lam’s side briefly moved top of the Gallagher PREM table as they came from behind to beat Sale 19-17 at Ashton Gate, but the coach lost promising young wing Boshoff to injury in the warm-up before Rees-Zammit was removed from the field late in the first half following a head collision.

Rees-Zammit, who had six tries in his last six matches prior to Friday’s contest, reportedly passed a head injury assessment (HIA) but was left feeling unwell following the collision, leading Bristol to err on the side of caution and remove him from the match.

However, Lam explained that the Wales international should be back for the Bears’ Champions Cup clash with the Bulls on Saturday, as he provided an update following his side’s latest victory.

“He wasn’t feeling 100% so we don’t take any risks with anyone with their head,” the director of rugby said. “He should hopefully be right for South Africa, which will suit him.”

But while Rees-Zammit is set for a speedy return, Boshoff looks set to spend a while longer on the sidelines, having been seen wearing a moon boot after injuring himself in the warm-up on Friday.

Rees-Zammit was withdrawn from Bristol’s clash with Sale after a head collision(Image: PA)

The Wales U20s star was set to start on the wing against Sale but the setback meant he was a late dropout, with Noah Heward coming in to replace him in the starting XV.

Boshoff has impressed on both sides of the ball for Bristol in recent weeks, scoring four tries in his last five matches for the PREM side.

An extremely physical player with a huge work rate, his performances have seen him tipped for senior Wales honours at some stage, even if the upcoming Six Nations would, admittedly, probably be too soon for a call-up.

Providing an update on the 20-year-old, Lam said his young wing was “down” over the setback, but backed him to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible.

“Boshoff [injured in] the warm-up,” he said. “He’s in a moon boot. He’s a little bit down.

“But I just said to him, ‘just come back faster, trust the process,’ and reminded him that everyone was available selection and a lot more available, and he got that spot.

“So that’s by him doing really well, and you take that as a positive, to get back fast and be available for selection when he can.”

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