Bristol Bears beat Northampton Saints 46-12 at Ashton Gate on Saturday in Round Six of the 2025/26 Gallagher PREM
Louis Rees-Zammit of Bristol Bears (Photo by Simon Galloway/Getty Images)
Bristol Bears suffered two more injury concerns to their already injury-depleted backline on Saturday as they beat Northampton Saints 46-12 in Round six of the Gallagher PREM to go up to fifth in the table.
Winger Jack Bates and Scotland international Tom Jordan both went off in the first half at Ashton Gate to force a reshuffle, with Welshmen Louis Rees-Zammit and Aidan Boshoff coming on. Post-match, Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam confirmed why the pair had been removed, with Bates suffering a hamstring injury and Tom Jordan failing a HIA.
Lam, said: “Bates did his hamstring, I think it was when he accelerated onto the pass. [in the build-up to Kieran Marmion’s second try].”
Lam continued: “Tom Jordan was called off by the independent doctor to have a HIA test, and he failed his test. I would fail the test. They are a hard test to nail when you’re fatigued. I think Tom will be okay. For him to dive, slide and catch a ball, you’ve got to be in a pretty good space to do that. That’s the way our game is, and I understand it’s all about safety, so I understand that.”
Rees-Zammit only making the bench initially had raised a few eyebrows when the team was announced on Friday, but Lam explained the winger had returned to the club feeling the effects of Wales’ gruelling Autumn international campaign. He said: “He wasn’t able to train this week. He had a few knocks and niggles.”
The Bears were forced into a late change on the day of the game as hooker Gabriel Oghre was replaced by 23-year-old Tomas Gwilliam on the bench just before kick-off. Oghre had a stomach bug for most of the week, and Lam explained his why he did not want to risk him.
Lam said: “He got a stomach bug and didn’t train Tuesday or Thursday. He only arrived with us today. I think we looked at it and I just made the call today, we’ve only got the three fit hookers, and I didn’t want to risk it. I had a lot of confidence that Harry Thacker was on form and Tomas Gwilliam deserved a chance, so I backed him. Going into a game like that and he gets injured; I wasn’t prepared to take that risk.”
Bears now sit fifth in the Gallagher PREM table with 18 points, just three points away from the play-off stages. They now have a break in league action and will travel to Scarlets next Saturday in the opening round of the European Investec Champions Cup group stages.