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Beyond bare-bones: The out-half crisis that has Premiership leaders Bristol set to use Ioan Lloyd's 18-year-old brother this Friday
Bristol Bears may on the surface be feeling very good about life at the minute, sitting on top of the Gallagher Premiership by six points twelve games into the regulation 22-game season, but their depth has become so stretched at out-half they are looking at the possibility of putting Ioan Lloyd’s recently turned 18-year-old brother on the bench for next Friday’s game with Wasps.
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With Callum Sheedy, last Saturday’s starter at Worcester now back with Wales ahead of their next Guinness Six Nations game, replacement Tiff Eden is in line for only his third ever Premiership start at out-half with Bristol.
After that, though, Bristol are beyond bare-bones due to injuries and international call-ups and it has left Lam calling in Jack Lloyd, the younger brother of injured Ioan, to see whether the current Clifton College student can sufficiently impress enough at training to be given a bench jersey for the Bears’ next Premiership game at Ashton Gate.
“We have got a real challenge this week,” revealed Lam at his weekly media conference. “Callum has now gone back (to Wales). Max Malins is away (with England). Ioan, his ankle looks maybe four weeks at a minimum so he is gone. Sam Bedlow is suspended. That’s four 10s.
“Tom Wilstead, our academy 10, is integrated, has been training with us. He did his groin, so he is gone for almost the season. We have Tiff Eden left but it’s challenging just looking around who else wants to cover 10. A few are trying to put their hands up.
'This week @Alishabutchers1 had to fundraise to cover the cost of ankle surgery following ligament damage sustained while training'@_JessHayden ??? on elite women's players paying out of pocket for treatment in order to play the game #IWD21 #IWD https://t.co/Y7tfa1K2Fl
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 8, 2021
“Charles Piutau. Piers O’Conor, Semi (Radradra) is volunteering ‘I’m ready’ every week and he will play anywhere. Siale (Piutau) would go there but he is not back from his injury. But the number of guys who go, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it’. Even Andy (Uren) is going, ‘I can play there’. Andy can goal kick so I said to him to put some work into it this week because that is the other side to it, the goal kicking issue because Charles can’t goal kick and the only next guy who can goal kick is Andy.
“We have got Ioan’s brother Jack, who is still at Clifton College, in our academy, and he is going to be in (full-time) once he finishes school this year. He is going to come to training this week but it would be a big call. We’ll just see how he goes. We’ll mix and match and see what comes out of that.
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“He’s just turned 18. If he wasn’t 18 he wouldn’t be allowed to play. I’ll see how he goes. It’s a big challenge. He is a talent as well, a real talent at school similar to Ioan. We will see how the week goes but you can see the challenge we face.
“Jack has got some skills. Ioan will always say he is better, like a good older brother. A younger brother will say he is better, like a good younger brother. He was in our U18s programme last year. Jack’s coming through, we’ll have a look. He has already signed up for our academy full-time next year.”
Reverting to Eden, the 26-year-old who spent time at Hartpury last season, Lam added: “He has played a couple of games and it’s about him leading, it’s about him calling the shots and working with the guys around him.
“That’s the thing, his game will be better served with everyone doing their jobs. When you are putting guys in, the best players are able to deal with it. Like Callum, that bit of pressure separates him from others. You have players who can play but can they do it under pressure, that is the challenge.
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“Tiff has got a very good kicking game, his goal kicking is very good and that is going to be important for us this week and his opportunity to lead. But what needs to happen is he fits the system and trusts the guys around him, that will be the big one.”
If you couldn't pick any of the current match-day team, who are the form picks?
Josh Raisey ??? has a go at choosing a XVhttps://t.co/lEqq1P7gO4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 8, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
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