Bristol Bears face the Vodacom Bulls – with mixed news on the injury front
BRISTOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 2: Bristol Bears’ Lovejoy Chawatama in action during the Gallagher PREM match between Bristol Bears and Sale Sharks at Ashton Gate on January 2, 2026 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images)(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Bristol Bears will be without the increasingly important Lovejoy Chawatama for Saturday’s clash with the Bulls in the Champions Cup.
Tighthead prop Chawatama has featured in all 15 of the Bears’ competitive games this season, starting the last four, but Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam confirmed the 33-year-old Zimbabwean suffered a calf injury in the Bears’ 19-17 win over Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership.
Speaking from Pretoria via Zoom in his pre-match press conference, Lam said: “Lovejoy did his calf in the game, and he is a big loss. His scrummaging has come to the fore, and his understanding of our game and fitness has really come on. He was going really well.
“So that is a big loss, but George Kloska came back from injury last week and did really well and we have young Jimmy Halliwell, who has been in and out and developing behind that group as well, so it is like with any of these injuries, the next guy in needs to step up and take his opportunity.”
Max Lahiff is also fit and can usefully cover both sides of the scrum. Behind the front row, lock Joe Batley is back available for selection, having served just a single match ban following his 20-minute red card for a dangerous clearout in a ruck against Newcastle Red Bulls.
There is mixed news in the backline, with Lam hopeful that star full-back or winger Louis Rees-Zammit will be fit to play, having flown out with the team. The Welshman took a blow to the head against Sale and came off for an HIA. He passed the test, but felt unwell, so sat out the rest of the game.
Providing an update, Lam said: “Rees looks good. He is just finishing off the last few protocols, but he should be all clear to play, and he is pretty confident he will make it, so he should be there.”
However, Lam confirmed emerging winger Aidan Boshoff is set for a spell on the sidelines after pulling his calf. Lam explained: “Boshoff did his calf in the warm-up, even before the team warm-up. He did it running around before we even started the warm/-up, which is a real shame for him, and I encouraged him and told him he had earned his place in the team.
“It is a bit of a recovery for him now, so he will be out for six to eight weeks. So now he needs to work hard and diligently to get back and be an option for us in the run-in.”
The good news for the Bears is that both Gabriel Ibitoye and Jack Bates look set to return from hamstring injuries later this month and could feature against Exeter Chiefs in the Gallagher PREM in a fortnight’s time.
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