Bristol Bears travel to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday in the fifth round of pool stage games in the 2025/26 PREM Rugby CupJames Williams of Bristol Bears crosses the line to score his sides 4th try (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Bristol Bears will welcome back backline linchpin Jimmy Williams and tighthead prop Max Lahiff for Saturday’s trip to Exeter Chiefs in the PREM Rugby Cup.

The senior first team duo are looking to get some valuable minutes under their belt after returning to full fitness from injuries. Williams, who can play either centre or fly-half, suffered an ankle injury in Bristol’s first competitive game of the season away at Sale Sharks in the PREM Rugby Cup back in September and will be a highly useful returnee with the Bears short of options in both his positions, with Tom Jordan still away with Scotland until next weekend and a significant injury list across the backline.

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Speaking ahead of the trip to Sandy Park, Bristol head of academy John Barnes said: “It’s great to have Jimmy back, obviously I’ve worked a lot with him at Hartbury [Barnes’ former club before re-joining Bristol in the summer].

“He’s great on the training pitch, he’s a real rugby man who works hard on the training pitch and brings a lot out of the youngsters, sort of Victor Worsnip around him, it’s great to have that alongside him.

“He’s done brilliantly here. The last couple of seasons, he’s been one of the first names on the team sheet, and he really gels the team.”

Prop Lahiff will make his first appearance of the season, having been sidelined with a broken foot he damaged in the Bears’ semi-final defeat away at Bath back in June.

Barnes said: “Max Lahiff is also back this week and has brought some seniority back into that pack as well.

“His last game was the semi-final when he got injured, and he had a long pre-season going through trying to get his rehab done, so I’m sure he’s really excited to be back on the pitch and get some minutes under his belt, again going into the Premiership and with European games coming up.”

With tighthead George Kloska currently injured, but potentially returning for the following weekend’s Gallagher PREM clash at home to Northampton Saints when the club’s raft of internationals will also return, including winger Louis Rees-Zammit, who will not be able to play in Wales’ out-of-the-international-window fixture against South Africa, Bristol’s resources are thickening up.

Barnes added: “I think week by week you see guys getting near a return to play, certainly going back into the Premiership next week and then into Europe. I think you’ll see a few more start to drip back in. The key thing is we don’t get more injuries on top of that.

“Once the guys come back, you want to keep the squad because we’re on a little bit of bare bones. We’ve got a 23 going down to Exeter on Saturday, but not many more to push elsewhere on loan this week.”

Barnes confirmed backrower Paddy Pearce will not be available for this weekend’s game with Exeter after dislocating his shoulder against the Argentina XV and is set for a spell on the sidelines, although Kenzie Jenkins is available to play despite having broken his nose in the same game.