Surgery for Bernardo

The South African second row limped out of the opening minutes of the LV= Cup defeat to Gloucester at the end of January, and after scans confirmed a dislocated kneecap, he will go under the knife to reconstruct damaged ligaments.

Medical Performance Manager, Chris Towers, confirmed the news, saying:

"We have discussed his treatment with the specialist and, essentially, the surgery means that he will miss the rest of the season. Post op, we will be in a better position to confirm the likely extent of his lay-off, once we have seen the full extent of his injury."

Bernardo is the third senior lock to be ruled out through long-term injury, joining Lloyd Peers and De Kock Steenkamp on the sidelines, while Alun Wyn Jones is also unavailable on international duty.