Rugby Lam happy to go into next season with smaller first-team squad

BRISTOL Bears will go into next season with just 31 senior players, which will be the Premiership club's smallest squad since Pat Lam’s arrival, leaving the ambitious director of rugby thin of the ground should injuries bite as they have this year.

- John EVELY

Last season, the Bears had 38 senior players on their roster at this time of year, with the average in the Gallagher Premiership in recent years being around 43. While the Bears are reported to be on the hunt for a loosehead prop recruit, with Yann Thomas retiring at the end of this campaign, the majority of Lam’s recruitment is understood to be done and already announced, with Scotland international Tom Jordan arriving from Glasgow Warriors and Argentinian international powerhouse lock Pedro Rubiolo already having made the switch from Newcastle Falcons while completing his rehab on a serious foot injury.

The versatile Max Pepper is another new arrival from Newcastle, covering scrum-half and wing, while BUCS duo, wing Josh Carrington (Cardiff Met) and second row Will Ramply (University of Nottingham) have also sign professional terms with the Bears.