Bristol 42-24 Leicester: Louis Rees-Zammit scores and Tom Jordan impresses on league debuts but Bears facing up to major injury crisis

Louis Rees-Zammit and Tom Jordan marked their Bristol league debuts with a try and a stand-out display amid an injury crisis which saw the Bears lose three key players. 

Rees-Zammit’s first PREM Rugby game since returning from the NFL included a run-in from his own half with the game’s final play while Scotland ace Jordan kicked 14 points. 

But backs AJ MacGinty (Achilles), Harry Randall and Gabriel Ibitoye (both hamstring) all went off while Steven Luatua (cramp) and Fitz Harding (head) also suffered minor knocks. 

It means Pat Lam’s side are dealing with severe early-season fitness issues behind the scrum with Noah Heward, Jack Bates, Rich Lane and Jimmy Williams already on the sidelines. 

‘It is a concern because we’re losing top-line players. But that’s been my work in the off-season. I was determined to make sure we got top cover,’ said Bristol boss Lam.

‘We’re digging into our depth now. It’s not an ideal situation but we can’t do anything about it. 

'We’re under the salary cap so we can look at injury replacements if we need to.’ 

In front of watching England head coach Steve Borthwick, Bristol half-backs Randall and MacGinty both departed before half time. 

Veteran USA No 10 MacGinty now looks set for another long spell out.  

Jordan, a summer arrival from Glasgow, stepped up from full-back to No 10 when MacGinty left the field and controlled the game impressively. 

Both teams took home bonus points for four tries with Rees-Zammit showing his trademark speed at the end of the game. 

‘It’s brilliant. It’s his first 80 minutes since he’s come back,’ Lam said of the Wales wing. 

‘He’s getting better every day. What I did like about his game was he didn’t have it easy. 

‘Physically he was good and that will give him a lot of confidence. To be able to sprint like that after 80 minutes was an indication he can still do it.’

Leicester stayed in Bristol on Saturday evening. 

But Tigers director of rugby Geoff Parling said: ‘We arrived 45 minutes before kick-off. The bus driver took two wrong turns but I thought the lads reacted really well.

‘There are no excuses. These things happen, but hopefully they won’t happen again.’

Elsewhere, England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored twice before limping off with cramp as his Exeter team came from 33-7 down to draw with Northampton. 

Rob Baxter’s Chiefs scored 26 unanswered second-half points as Saints imploded in a thriller at Franklin’s Gardens. 

It was Feyi-Waboso’s first club game since December last year after shoulder surgery forced him to miss the Six Nations and Lions tour. 

The flying wing showed his predatory finishing instincts and the injury which forced him from the field is understood to not be serious.