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Pat Lam forced to ring changes after Bristol Bears injury carnage
By Neil Fissler
Pam Lam has been forced to ring the changes as Bristol Bears chase a historic win over Saracens, having lost their previous six visits to the StoneX.
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Bristol last beat Saracens away from home, 19-13, in February 2006, when the former Premiership and European champions played their home games at Vicarage Road, Watford.
Lam has seen his side ripped apart by injuries and brings Georgian international Luka Ivanishvili in at openside for his PREM Rugby debut on the trip to the capital.
Jake Woolmore captains the side for the first time in the league in the absence of Fitz Harding, with Lovejoy Chawatama given a start at tighthead.
Kieran Marmion and Tom Jordan link up at half-back following long-term injuries to Harry Randall (hamstring) and AJ MacGinty (Achilles), picked up in last weekend’s 42-24 win over Leicester Tigers.
Josh Carrington gets a start at full-back after impressing from the bench last weekend, while Fijian flyer Kalaveti Ravouvou lines up on the wing, with Gabriel Ibitoye (hamstring) also ruled out.
“We will give it our best shot to try and create a little bit of history. We have never won there before, certainly not in my time here with the Bears. We have gone close many times, and it will be another tough challenge.
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“Everybody trying to achieve something for the first time is a huge motivation, but there is a reason why we haven’t done that.
“We have to be on our game to challenge a really good Saracens side, and especially one with Owen Farrell back in there, which makes the challenge even tougher.
“Saracens will test you in every department. They are good at what they do and have got so much experience, and Owen Farrell in their ranks will give them massive confidence,” Lam told RugbyPass this week.
Bristol Bears: 15. Josh Carrington, 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 13. Joe Jenkins, 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11. Kalaveti Ravouvou, 10. Tom Jordan, 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Jake Woolmore (c), 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. Lovejoy Chawatama, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Batley, 6. Joe Owen, 7. Luka Ivanishvili, 8. Viliame Mata
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Replacements: 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Sam Grahamslaw, 18. George Kloska, 19. Steven Luatua, 20. Ben Grondona, 21. Max Pepper, 22. Sam Worsley, 23. Aidan Boshoff