Leicester Tigers host Bristol Bears at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Sunday in Round 11 of the 2025/26 Gallagher PREM
Ellis Genge of England greets supporters (Photo by Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has opted to give his trio of Six Nations stars the weekend off, with his side travelling to Leicester Tigers in Round 11 of the Gallagher Premiership.
England loosehead Ellis Genge, Scotland utility back Tom Jordan and Wales full-back Louis Rees-Zammit will all be on holiday this weekend, with the Bears heading to Welford Road despite all being fit, with the trio set to return for Bristol’s Big Day Out against Harlequins at the Principality Stadium.
Lam explained: “I’ve told them to go straight on holiday after their international matches and go wherever they want to get to. Stay away from the Middle East, obviously. But no, they will be back next week. We’ve got a short turnaround, we’ve got our Big Day Out. They’ll be back for that, but everyone else has been focusing on Leicester for the last three weeks.”
That trio of stars will certainly be missed at the weekend, as will the club’s two starting locks, Pedro Rubiolo and Joe Batley, who have both been ruled out long-term.
Argentina international Rubiolo is out for the season with an ACL injury and, quite frankly, is irreplaceable in the Bears XV, bringing world-class physicality to the side which has helped take the club’s forwards play to another level this season since arriving from Newcasle
Batley is out for around another six weeks following surgery on his thumb, but Lam said it is the job of the next in line, James Dun and Joe Owen, to step up, with Steele Barker and George Taylor further down the pecking order.
Lam said: “Dunny was our number one tighthead loc last season and played really well the last two seasons he’s been in there. Then obviously Pedro came in and really took it to another level, which inspired Dunny and the other second rowers.
“Joe Owen is someone who’s built up the games and learnt of Joe Batley and also plays in the back row, and he got the experience of playing for England A earlier in the year. He’s coming on nicely as well.
And then we’ve got George Taylor, who’s a Bristolian like Dunny, he has come back from long -term injuries, and he’s been building nicely in the Prem Cup, getting games as well and he’s someone I’m excited about.
“Those three boys are have got to pick up the jersey and take it forward. And we’ve got the old guard too, Steven Luatua, probably Santi Grondona, Bill Mata, they could all slip in there if need be as well.”
In better news, veteran flanker Steven Luatua has recovered from his problematic calf issue to be in contention this weekend, along with loosehead prop Jake Woolmore, tighthead prop Lovejoy Chawatama, full back Noah Heward and winger Aidan Boshoff, to provide some options across the side.
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