Pat Lam: 'I am pleased... we are not taking this for granted'

Pat Lam reflected on a case of mission accomplished after his Bristol team remained firmly in Gallagher Prem play-off contention by crushing Gloucester 53-12 at Ashton Gate.

The bonus-point success left Bristol hovering just outside the top-four as they contest those positions alongside Northampton, Bath, Leicester and Exeter.

A third league defeat on the bounce following losses to Leicester and Harlequins would have realistically ended their hopes, but Bristol delivered an emphatic response.

They face bottom club Newcastle next, before hosting Saracens and rugby director Lam was delighted with how his players got the job done.

“I am pleased. The only outcome we needed was five points tonight and we focused on the process of doing it,” Lam told TNT Sports.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol

53 - 12

Full-time

Gloucester

All Stats and Data

“It’s all about Newcastle now. We have always found it really difficult up there. If you are loose against them, you will get punished.

“We are not taking this for granted. It is going to be a massive occasion and that’s what our focus is.”

Bristol’s England prop Ellis Genge added: “We left ourselves with a little bit of work to do after the last two fixtures, but we spoke about giving it our all and being committed, and I think the boys showed that tonight.

“A team like us that moves the ball so well, sometimes you can get a bit carried away. We said about winning the collisions today and I am delighted.

“We’ve had some honest conversations. We probably took our eye off the ball a little bit after having plenty of momentum before the Six Nations.

“We’ve doubled down on being direct and working off the ball and then you can get an edge and pull teams about. It is a pleasure being part of a team when we are playing like that.”

Gloucester saw three players receive yellow cards during the first half and Bristol ruthlessly punished them with a try double from wing Kalaveti Ravouvou, while Kieran Marmion and Fitz Harding also crossed, in addition to a penalty try.

Fly-half Tom Jordan then touched down early in the second period, along with hooker Gabriel Oghre. Centre James Williams kicked five conversions and Jordan landed two late penalties.

Gloucester managed scores for full-back George Barton and flanker Deian Gwynne, plus a Barton conversion, but they were a distant second-best, slumping to an 11th Prem defeat of the season in 13 starts as Bristol claimed a record victory in the fixture.