Lam to the Slaughter: Connacht's Pro12-Winning Coach Is Heading To Bristol

Wish Pat Lam luck – he has just accepted the most difficult job in English rugby, writes James Harrington.

The announcement that the former Samoan international Pat Lam has decided to leave Pro12 side Connacht at the end of the season for English club Bristol surprised – and upset – more than a few rugby fans in Ireland.

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Connacht centre Bundee Aki, who signed a new contract with the club in October, was not alone in his disappointment.

Pat Lam leaving @connachtrugby at the end of the season. Balls.

— Nathan Murphy (@nathanmurf) December 5, 2016

Pat Lam off to Bristol next season. Very sad news for Connacht & Irish rugby in general. @connachtrugby have been a revelation under Lam.

— Eamonn (@Eamonn_75) December 5, 2016

Pat Lam to leave Connacht at the end of the season, huge blow for the province

— Rúaidhrí O'Connor (@RuaidhriOC) December 5, 2016

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And no wonder. Lam, whose coaching star is on a near-vertical trajectory, guided the least fashionable of the Irish provinces to their first-ever Pro12 title last season and, after four seasons in Galway has become something of a local sporting legend.

Now he’s leaving the west of Ireland to head for a west-of-England club rooted to the bottom of the English top flight, one that has lost its 10 opening games and looks an odds-on relegation certainty after just one season in the Premiership.

That fact may have upset Connacht fans, but the near-certainty that Lam will join a side in the English second tier, and will swap the Champions Cup for the Championship, is neither here nor there. He said: “I’m committed to Bristol irrespective as to what happens in the short-term – everything is in place for the club to be a force in the future and I’m honoured to be invited to join the journey.”

Now, though, he must prepare himself for face a task that proved too much for his predecessor, Andy Robinson, the man who finally guided the club to promotion after play-off near-misses in 2014 and 2015, but was sacked as the club’s director of rugby after just seven matches this season.

It proved too much for London Welsh. Twice. They were promoted in 2012 and 2014 – only to be relegated again at the end of the following season. The exiles’ last assault on the Premiership ended with 22 defeats in 22 games, along with losses in all their European Challenge Cup and Anglo-Welsh Cup matches.

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Here’s the farce of it. Bristol finished their Championship-winning season 16 points clear of the chasing pack. For months, it was clear to anyone paying even the vaguest attention that they were the best side in the league. But no player would sign for them – and they were being left way behind in the open season for the signatures of out-of-contract players, which officially starts on January 1.

Why? Because their elevation to the top flight was not assured. And the longer it was not assured, the further behind they got.

Despite their clear superiority in the Championship, they still had to play Doncaster in a two-leg play-off in May – and those two play-off defeats in the previous two seasons weighed heavily. Their promotion was confirmed on May 25.

By the time Bristol’s billionaire owner Steve Lansdown could finally open his cheque book, five months after most Premiership clubs, the ink was already dry on most new deals. And Bristol were forced to head into the Premiership season lacking the strength in depth of the 11 other sides they would be facing.

Reports suggest that Lam will have a sizeable war chest to plot an immediate return to the top tier of English rugby. It is in his interest to secure as many signatures as possible this season with a ‘jam tomorrow‘ promise of future Premiership rugby. Otherwise, they could yo-yo between the leagues for years to come.

He should thank all those gracious Connacht fans who have already offered their good wishes. He’ll need all the help he can get.

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https://twitter.com/unlaoised/status/805725791619313664

Sad to see Pat Lam leaving. The biggest thing he has done with this Connacht team is establish a connection with the fans.All the best 2 him

— Patrick Ward (@patrickward93) December 5, 2016