Bristol Bears suffer Ellis Genge blow ahead of visit of PREM big dogs

Bristol Bears have suffered a major blow ahead of Saturday evening’s visit from Gallagher PREM champions Northampton Saints, as England and Lions loosehead Ellis Genge will miss the game with a wrist injury.

Genge sustained the injury in the opening minute of the 34-24 win over Sale Sharks in the season opener and played on for more than an hour before asking to be taken off.

Bears boss Pat Lam believes Genge, who was playing his first game of the season after an extended rest following international duty in the summer, will be out for only two to three weeks at most.

“You would have seen in the very first tackle of the game when we kicked the ball down, and we had an unbelievable chase from our front five, which was Genji, Pedro (Rubiolo), (George) Kloska, Gab Oghre, all flying up.

“And Genji made the tackle. I think it might have been Joe Carpenter. And he just caught his wrist in an awkward place, and you would have seen him hold his hand. So he sprained his wrist in that.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol

07:05

3 Oct 26

Northampton

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“So he won’t be available this week, and as the game went on, he was having trouble getting a grip scrummaging. So he actually said he signalled he’d better come off in that second half.

“At this stage, it’s a sprained wrist, so hopefully it’ll only keep him out for two or three weeks at the most. We all know how tough he is. Obviously, like every player, they get frustrated with injuries, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

“He was in great form and trained really well since he came back, and he was very ready to go, and he was a big part of that picture last week, but like any player, just frustrated, but once you accept it, which he did early in the week, and got the scan back, he’s just cracked on.

“I saw him out running, and, and, because it’s not for a long time, he will be prepared for when he comes back again,” said Lam on his weekly media call.