Bristol Bears are set to be without two of their X-factor players for the short journey to the Recreation Ground to take on Bath Rugby on Saturday.
Injury-prone winger Siva Naulago and hooker Harry Thacker have both suffered injuries to rule them out of the derby game in Round Three of the Gallagher Premiership, director of rugby Pat Lam confirmed on Thursday in his pre-game press conference.
Thacker has not played this season after suffering a bout of illness that ruled him out of the 24-3 win away at Newcastle Falcons to open the league campaign and then the thrilling 44-41 defeat at home to Gloucester in Round Two. Now a training ground incident has ruled him out again, with Gabriel Oghre set to extend his run of games in the number two jersey.
Lam said: “Harry Thacker has unfortunately taken a knock and picked up a niggle so, unfortunately, he won’t be available this week but he should be back for next week [against Exeter Chiefs].”
However, Fijian winger Naulago looks set for a couple of months on the sidelines after suffering a suspected broken cheekbone in the second half of the game against the Cherry and Whites. Lam said: “Siva had a head-on-head collision in the game with his cheekbone and he will be out as well. It looks like he has broken it but we will have more info on that probably tomorrow.”
The injury comes as a further blow to the Bears with options dwindling in the three-quarters with fellow Fijian Kalaveti Ravouvou currently sidelined with a shoulder injury and Noah Heward out until the New Year having had surgery on a hamstring strain.
The good news for the Bears is there is added competition in the backrow with a fit again Santiago Grondona back from international duty and available to finally make his debut this weekend, should he be selected, despite having signed for the club more than a year ago.
Lam said: “Santiago Grondona is back after featuring for Argentina against South Africa. It is good to have him back, he is available to be selected for his first game. He played a couple of pre-season games for us before he went out to play in The Rugby Championship. When we signed him last year, he had that horrific knee injury just before the World Cup and it was a long rehab to get him back.
“We worked really well with Felipe Contempomi [Argentina head coach] this summer. He has got himself some game time for Argentina and he knows our game well having been with us for a year and he has fitted back in pretty seamlessly.”