'Great futures ahead' - Pat Lam praises young guns despite Bristol Bears' defeat to Brive

Pat Lam praised the performances of four of Bristol Bears’ young players who stepped up to senior rugby from the club’s champion U18s side on Friday night.

The Bears' director of rugby said fly-half Sam Worsley, number eight Ed Harvey, backrower Aaron Tull and centre Joe Jenkins, who all featured in the 22-17 defeat to Brive out in France, have great futures ahead of them.

All four teenagers were prominent figures in Bristol Bears’ 2021/22 national academy title winning U18 squad and have been training with the first team this summer.

However, Lam also confirmed a much more experienced side, full of senior players, will take the field at Rodney Parade on Friday night to face United Rugby Championship side the Dragons in the club’s second pre-season match of the summer.

Speaking after the defeat to Brive, an upbeat Lam said: “It was good to get out there, we obviously brought a younger squad with us, we had four of our successful U18s side out there and I thought they all acquitted themselves really well; Sam Worsley, Ed Harvey, Aaron Tull and Joe Jenkins. It was great to see them out there; they were nervous but the boys looked after them.

“A lot of our academy boys got game time but what I was most pleased about is all our guys who have trained all pre-season got a hit out in the Bears jersey.

He continued: “Jake Heenan hit the nail on the head, he said: ‘Well done and these guys can be very proud of their efforts.”

“They have got some great futures at the Bears and that is our whole vision to be bringing these homegrown boys through.

“There is a real quality group coming through and I am excited by it.”

Closer to home, Bristol Bears’ new U18s cohort kicked off their Academy U18 League campaign with a 24-16