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'I understand that some pitches are like that... but I'm a fan of old school and grass'
Bristol boss Pat Lam has outlined how he very much remains an advocate for grass pitches in the Gallagher Premiership. The Bears coach takes his team to Worcester on Saturday, one of the two clubs in the top-flight who use an artificial surface.
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Newcastle are the other Premiership club that currently doesn’t use grass, while recently relegated Saracens were another whose preference is for 4G.
Bristol coach Lam isn’t a fan, claiming he is an old school rugby operator who likes his traditions. “I have always been a fan of daylight rugby, I have always been a fan of old school and grass. That’s me,” he said when asked by RugbyPass why he isn’t a fan of the surfaces used by the likes of the Warriors.
“That’s just my opinion, but I understand we have got to play at night, I understand that some pitches are like that but I’m not a fan. I’m old school, two o’clock in the afternoon, three o’clock in the afternoon, but the reality is it is what it is and we have got to deal with it.
“It’s not a big deal. I just have my preferences and when we play the others (who use artificial surfaces) we just get on with it.”
With the Premiership awash with recent red cards, Exeter boss Rob Baxter tries to get to the bottom of what the flip is going on#PremRugby #BATvEXEhttps://t.co/98rhgyPGBZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 6, 2021
Bristol headed to Worcester out in front of Premiership at the midway point of the 22-match regulation season. Lam doesn’t usually place much heed on the table at this juncture in a campaign but he has researched where the Bears were at this stage last season and claims that having 41 points from eleven games shows things are much improved at the club.
“It just gives you a guide to where you are travelling. It’s not about being top of the table midway, it’s about being there at the end so we are on the journey and we are ahead,” he said. “I had a quick look at where we were at this stage last year and we were 30 points and sitting in third after eleven games so it is a great credit to our growth, our staff, players, everyone developing.
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“That is what we are about. Everyone gets better collectively and certainly from this time last season we have made some big progress. But it’s like when you climb a mountain, the halfway point is tough but the next half of the journey is tougher. It’s rarified air up there. If we stay the same we will be coming back down that hill.”
"What we are going through now is no surprise to me because when I signed up I knew what I was signing up to"
– Jonathan Thomas is on a five-game losing streak as new Worcester head coach and next up is his old club Bristol#PremRugby #WORvBRI https://t.co/k4NKYAfN6m
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 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.
33 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.
2 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
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
33 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.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
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