Lam criticises pitch as Bristol count injury cost

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam says he does not like the artificial surfaces being used in the Prem after a bad night for his team on the injury front.

The Bears ran in eight tries to win 52-19 at Newcastle Red Bulls, but they lost a number of players to injury on the Kingston Park surface.

The result allowed them to move back into the top four, but Lam will have to assess the damage to a squad that has already been hit hard by injuries this season.

"These pitches are hard, I'm not a big fan of them," Lam told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We always take injuries on them and we've taken a few more."

Kingston Park is one of three venues to use an artificial pitch in the Prem along with Saracens' StoneX Stadium and Gloucester's Kingsholm.

And the play-off chasing Bears were counting the cost before play started as second-row forward Joe Batley injured his hamstring in the warm-up.

The same fate befell full-back Rich Lane while Argentina number eight Benjamin Grondona ended the evening with his arm in a sling after a pectoral injury.

Hooker Gabriel Oghre came off in the first half after a heavy landing left him with a knee issue and winger Noah Heward went off as a precaution after also feeling his hamstring.

Even those without serious injuries were feeling the effect of grazes and burns from Newcastle's pitch.

Bristol have no game now until they host Saracens on 9 May but Lam will have to delve deep into his squad again for the final four games of the regular Prem season.

"This is the squad, that's why we train all this year," said Lam. "I always say to the guys, 'Be ready'.

"That's what this team's about. We step up. There's a system to be done, it's your turn to do it and that's what a lot of the boys who came in tonight, did."