Louis Rees-Zammit added to injury list as Bristol turn to transfer market

Bristol boss Pat Lam has revealed the Bears are being forced to recruit additional players to deal with an injury crisis that has now claimed Louis Rees-Zammit.

The winger suffered a toe injury as he joined Joe Jenkins (hamstring) and Tom Jordan (ribs) in being unable to finish Saturday’s 50-17 Gallagher Prem mauling by Saracens at StoneX Stadium.

Lam hopes Rees-Zammit and Jordan will be short-term absentees only but fears Jenkins is looking at a longer spell on the sidelines.

It continues an ill-starred start to the season for Bristol, who on the opening weekend lost key backs AJ MacGinty, Harry Randall and Gabriel Ibitoye to injuries that have resulted in surgery.

“The recruitment team will be looking around for some extra players and we’ve been doing that in the background,” Lam said.

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“But it’s finding the right players, people in contract, so that’s always a tricky one at this time of the year, but we are searching everywhere.

“There are players who are dead keen but then getting released is the other side of it, so that’s the challenge our recruitment team has to work through.”

Bristol leaked seven tries and were never in contention from the moment Theo Dan started the rout after 135 seconds, although scrum-half Kieran Marmion at least ran in a hat-trick.

“After four minutes we’d given away three penalties and Saracens rode off the back of that and dominated the collisions. Before we knew it, we had conceded three or four tries,” Lam said.

“I loved the fight when the boys were trying to get that bonus point we thought we had at the end, which would have been great to come away with.

“But it’s not a great day. We’re not proud of what we did. We came out with no points, and that happens.”

Saracens delivered another bonus-point victory that lifts them to the top of the table after two rounds despite the absence of British and Irish Lions Maro Itoje, Elliot Daly, Ben Earl and Jamie George, among others.

At the heart of a statement performance in north London was number eight Tom Willis, who was colossal on both sides of the ball.

“Tom was always very clear on what he needed to improve in his game,” Saracens boss Mark McCall said.

“He was always a great carrier but now he’s coming up with big moments in matches. The opposition will be attacking and suddenly he will appear with the ball. His defensive work has really come on over the past 12-18 months.

“Becoming the England number eight and some of the chats he has had with Steve Borthwick have given him added confidence.”