Pat Lam left frustrated by ‘freakish’ Bristol Bears injury list

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam says that “freakish” injuries have played their part in his side not making the Prem Rugby play-offs this season.

The Bears are sixth going into the final day, but can’t make the final four after results went against them last weekend.

A win against Sale on the final day could see the Bears finish inside the top five for the fourth straight season.

The New Zealander told BBC Radio Radio Bristol: “It’s not just the injuries, it’s the availability, we have had players missing six, seven, eight games at a time.

“Two clubs could have two injuries each. One would lose those players for three games, the other loses those players for 20 games between them.

“It’s been pretty freakish, so hopefully we have better luck next season. Unfortunately in sport these things can happen.”

Lam also said that the club had looked through video footage of every single injury, calling many of them “unlikely”.

“We have data going back nine years, and the medical guys are able to go back and compare everything.

“Every player is different, and every body is different, sometimes it is just bad luck.

“Joe Batley dislocated his thumb lifting a player up when it caught in his shorts, and we lost him for six weeks. We had three players in the space of a couple of weeks get hit in the contact and did their knee or ankle.

“We had a situation with Gab [Oghre] covering back where he jumped to avoid a falling player and twisted his knee on a 4G pitch.

“In the same game, Ben Grondoma went to make a tackle and as he stretched out of his way, someone fell on his arm.”