Fissler Confidential: Pat Lam battling for his Bristol future

Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam is battling for his future despite having another two years left on his contract with the club, who look like missing out on the Gallagher PREM play-offs yet again.

The Bears have only reached the play-offs three times in eight seasons, and Friday night’s 94-33 humiliation against Northampton Saints has left former All Black Lam, 57, who has coached the Bears since 2017, leading them to promotion a year later, fighting for his future at the club.

He was under contract until 2023, when, in September 2021, he was given a five-year extension, committing him to the club until the summer of 2028. Despite a huge injury list, whispers about a potential change are growing stronger.

Scotland lock Jonny Gray is staying with Top 14 strugglers Perpignan, who will face a play-off to stay in the French top flight next season, for at least another year after signing a contract until 2027.

Gray, 32, has been wearing the blood and gold since leaving European champions Bordeaux-Bègles at the end of March and has made three appearances, all of which have ended in defeat.

He has been playing in France since leaving Exeter two years ago and has been named to start for the trip to face his former employers at the Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas on Saturday afternoon.

Wallabies flanker Lachlan Swinton says that all options are open to him when he leaves Bordeaux Bègles when his two-year contract runs out at the end of the season.

Swinton, 29, who has played seven games for his country, has only just returned to the pitch after a serious knee injury he suffered last season. He made 56 appearances for the New South Wales Waratahs before moving to France.

“I haven’t signed anything yet. I was waiting to be able to chain the performances. And I hope that after that, I will be able to take care of my future. “I am open to everything. Part of me wants to come home, but another wants to stay here,” he told L’Equipe.

Former PREM fly-half Kieran Wilkinson, who’s had an outstanding season with Caldy, will be swapping Champ clubs in the summer with a move to Doncaster for the 2026-27 campaign.

The ex-England under-20 international Wilkinson, 26, who played for Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons, joined Caldy at the start of last season and started 25 out of 26 games; the only one he didn’t start was their last game against London Scottish.

He scored 133 points for Caldy and did enough to attract the interest of Doncaster, who are reputedly paying £45,000 for a part-time contract, which blew his current club, who were keen to keep him, out of the water.

Former Saracens, Bath and Worcester Warriors tighthead Christian Judge is set to leave Béziers, his home for the last two seasons, but it is set to stay in the Pro D2, with Brive emerging as the favourites for his signature.

Judge, 33, has played 49 games for Béziers since his move from Saracens, and his CV has been doing the rounds among clubs in the French second tier for months, and he did have some interest from Biarritz, according to Midi Olympique.

Now it appears that a two-year deal is on the table for him to join Brive, who have allowed big names like Courtney Lawes to join Sale Sharks next season and Curwin Bosch to move to the Bulls after a disappointing season.

Queensland Reds are growing increasingly confident that they will retain Wallaby fly-half Tom Lynagh when he comes off contract at the end of this year, who has been linked with moves to France and Japan.

Lynagh, 23, who was born in Italy and grew up in London, came through the ranks at Harlequins and has suffered a string of injuries and health problems, which have restricted him to just 18 minutes of action in the current Super Rugby campaign.

He has been linked with a move to relegation-threatened Top 14 outfit Perpignan and Japan, but despite dropping down the Wallabies pecking order, it has been reported that he is close to agreeing a new deal with the Reds.

Veteran Portuguese scrum-half Samuel Marques is returning to his former club Carcassonne, who have just been relegated to the French third-tier Championnat Fédéral Nationale next season.

Fissler Confidential reported in January that Marques, who comes from Condom, south-western France, will be 38 in December, was joining an exodus of players leaving Pro D2 strugglers Béziers when his contract runs out at the end of next month.

It has now been confirmed that he has rejoined Carcassonne, his home between 2021 and 2023, where he played a Pro D2 play-off in 2022, continuing a career that has also taken in Albi, Toulouse, Brive and Pau.

France’s Dublin-born lock Joshua Brennan, the son of former Ireland and Leinster star Trevor, has pledged his future to Toulouse until 2030 after it was announced that he has signed a new four-year contract.

The 24-year-old, who came off the bench in France’s win over England in the Six Nations, has played 20 of his side’s 23 games this season and played 110 times for the club since signing professional terms six years ago.

His older brother, loosehead Daniel, is poised to leave Toulon at the end of the season to join Montauban on a two-year deal despite them being relegated from the Top 14.