'Sam's been in': Free agent Lewis on trial at a Premiership club

Former Worcester crowd favourite Sam Lewis is on trial at Pat Lam’s Bristol. It was June 1 when the Warriors confirmed that the ex-Ospreys flanker would depart Sixways when his contract expired at the end of the 2021/22 season and it has now been revealed that the free agent is currently training at the Bears.

Bristol threw open their training ground on Thursday for their media day ahead of the new 2022/23 campaign and Lam used the access to make public the opportunity they have given to the 31-year-old Lewis.

“Sam has been in for a trial,” said Lam in an interview carried on bristolpost.co.uk. “He was let go last year and we got a phone call a couple of weeks ago to say he was willing to come in and have a trial with us so we have taken him in.

“He has been good. We will see how he goes this week. He got some game time last week against Brive and did really well and we will go from there.”

Lewis, who made a March 2015 debut for Worcester versus Plymouth in the Championship, spent seven seasons at the Warriors after initially making his way in the game at the Ospreys off the back of an October 2011 Anglo-Welsh Cup debut versus Exeter.

Having made over 100 appearances and become a Sixways crowd favourite, Lewis told the Worcester website twelve weeks ago: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I will leave with a heavy heart. That’s the nature of professional rugby I suppose, but I will leave with some fantastic memories, with winning the Premiership Rugby Cup being right up there.

“I have played with a lot of great boys in my time here and made some friendships that will last beyond rugby. I’m going to miss going out on the pitch with the boys. I have loved playing for Warriors and playing in front of the crowd here at Sixways who have been so supportive over the years.

“I really appreciate the support that I have had over the years from the crowd and also from the coaches and back-room staff that I have worked with. I’m not sure what my plans are yet but I am looking forward to becoming a dad.”

Bristol have plenty of back row talent on their roster with Fitz Harding, Dan Thomas, Jake Heenan and Magnus Bradbury all jostling for position ahead of the new Premiership campaign that starts at home to Bath on September 9.

However, skipper Steven Luatua will likely be marked absent for the beginning of the season due to a training ground calf injury that has left him wearing a protective moon boot. “Stevie had been flying,” said Lam.

“It was probably the best I had seen him in pre-season. It is very frustrating, he was going to go to Brive (for the pre-season game) and then in the last session he strained his calf. At the moment he is probably not going to make the start of the season.”