'He's another Antoine example, we found him playing in Ebbw Vale'
Pat Lam has described Toby Fricker – last weekend’s Bristol match-winner against Gloucester in the Gallagher Premiership – as another lower league gamble that has paid off handsomely for the Bears. Frenchman Frisch was plucked from the depth of Pro D2 at Rouen and his 2021/22 campaign in England has resulted in Munster taking him the midfielder to Ireland on a three-year deal.
Bristol similarly picked up Fricker from off the beaten track some years ago, finding him playing club rugby in Wales and deciding to take a punt on an unheralded talent who has since proven his worth to the Bears.
It was September 2019 when Bristol gave Fricker a Premiership Cup debut against Harlequins and he has since gone on to make a total of 25 appearances, scoring eight tries in the process – including the two that ambushed Gloucester down the finishing straight last weekend at Ashton Gate.
That Premiership performance from the recently fit-again 26-year-old – his first league outing in four months – was a sharp reminder that Bristol have plenty of talent in their squad outside of the star names such as Charles Piutau and Kyle Sinckler, far lesser-known talents who can be dependent on to provide a spark in a time of need.
“He’s another example like Antoine Frisch,” suggested Lam when asked by RugbyPass for his thoughts on how Fricker stepped out of the shadows last weekend to provide a much-needed win for a Bristol team that has generally failed to fire in this season’s Premiership.
“We found him playing club rugby in Ebbw Vale in Wales. He is English and he was at Bristol Uni and was travelling to Ebbw Vale and playing club rugby with his mates. There was a friend that I had that gave me a heads up about him. He told me about him, sent me some footage so I had a look, brought him in for a conversation and I loved talking to him.
“He is an intelligent guy. Bristol Uni, it’s not easy to get in there. I really enjoyed the chat but he had dreams. Dreams, hungry, just wanted a chance and he has worked away. It’s very similar to Antoine, maybe not as talented as a lot of other players but attitude, hunger, desire – that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have talent, he does – but that is what comes through, a real passion to be better.
“It’s a real credit to the rehab team with his (chest) injury. He was flying at that time (when he picked it up in December against Leicester)), he was starting every week and was going really well. Toby is like a forward playing in the backs. He is big, he is strong, he is aggressive, he is a tough kid and he loves running hard.
“The thing with Toby is he does all the little basics really well, simple things, catches the high balls, runs hard, makes tackles and he goes and goes. He has got some really good qualities. I was pleased. I was pleased for him and was pleased for the rehab team that they got him back and he just picked up where he left off.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
60 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
60 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
60 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
60 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
60 Go to comments