Bristol Bears host Bath Rugby at the Principality Stadium on Saturday in Round 16 of the 2024/25 Gallagher PremiershipJoe Batley of Bristol Bears celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth try (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Bristol Bears are set to welcome back a pair of their forward enforcers this weekend to aid their bid to fight fire with fire against Bath Rugby’s powerful pack.

The Bears take on their derby rivals at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, effectively needing a win to stay in the play-off fight having lost their last three games on the bounce. Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam confirmed he is hoping to have lock Joe Batley and versatile second row and flanker option James Dun available for the key game.

Batley has played just seven games this season after suffering back-to-back injuries, including a fractured leg and most recently a glute muscle strain. The 28-year-old, 2m tall forward, is now looking to string a run of games together not only to try and propel Bristol to their first ever Premiership final, but also earn a place on the plane to Argentina this summer with England having impressed the national coaches while in camp with England A in the Autumn.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, director of rugby Pat Lam said: “Joe is finally back. He is another one of our big players who has had three or four month off. He is finally back for selection this week. He is certainly on the radar for England, he was picked for England A and would have started that game but he got ruled out with injury, but it is long road back.

“If you are injured for three or four weeks it is fine, but a lot of our big players have been out for four months and what we are finding is when they come back, they want to be at the form they were before, but it is not always possible. That is why you have pre-season games.

“I am seeing lots of desire from these players and they are getting better and better, but Joe is certainly at the start of that journey.”

Lam confirmed that Dun is also in the mix to play at Cardiff having now passed all his return to play protocols after getting knocked unconscious against Leicester Tigers.

Hooker Gabriel Oghre, who is also fighting to make England’s tour of the Americas, is also back to add fire-power to the Bristol pack against Bath having limped off the field in the defeat to Northampton Saints a fortnight ago with a dead leg.

Lam said: “He got a dead leg right from the kick-off and he started to limp. He hung in there for a little while but I could see it was affecting him trying to get around the pitch. He was a warrior trying to hang in there but his body wasn’t 100 percent. When you have a player like Harry Thacker to step in, we took him off.”

Irish fly-half Harry Byrne also looks likely to be available to provide some depth at fly-half this weekend having been sidelined for the last couple of games after taking a head knock in training.

Looking at the longer view, there is also good news in the backrow, with flanker Jake Heenan’s knee injury nowhere near as serious as first feared when he limped off against Leicester and he is working to be available for the club again before the end of the season.

Lam added: “It is not as bad as initially thought and I am really pleased for him as he prepares to go back to New Zealand and play for Northland which is massive for him because that is where he comes from and he has never played for them.

“He is working his way back and he certainly could be available before the end of the season.”