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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.
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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.
https://twitter.com/bundeeaki12/status/805714990921609220
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
https://twitter.com/eointonge/status/805725374806159360
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.
https://twitter.com/seriousnotions/status/805725799324286977
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
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
1 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe 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.
8 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.
56 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.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 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.
61 Go to comments