'We obviously want Wasps and Exeter to meet in the final... but we'll be ready'
Bristol Bears head coach Pat Lam insists his players will be ready to step into next weekend’s Gallagher Premiership final and try to double up after winning the European Challenge Cup for the first time in their history.
The Bears beat Toulon 32-19 in Aix-en-Provence to become the ninth English Premiership side to take the title. Harry Randall and Max Mallins scored tries and fly-half Callum Sheedy landed 22 points with a perfect eight from eight successful kicks at goal.
The victory came a week on from Bristol’s defeat to Wasps in the Premiership semi-finals, but Lam confirmed after seeing his side lift the trophy that they have been put on stand-by to play in the Twickenham showpiece against Exeter Chiefs after Wasps had four positive coronavirus tests.
“We obviously want Wasps and Exeter to meet in the final because they thoroughly deserve to be there and that’s the final that should happen,” said Lam about the prospect of Bristol getting a Premiership showpiece invitation. “But in the world in which we live in with Covid we don’t know.
“We have been told we are on stand-by, so if we are told we are in the final we will get everyone together and say let’s go. It is just the world we live in at the moment. Things turn all the time, but we certainly hope Wasps and Exeter make it through.”
This would be a crazy outcome to a crazy season https://t.co/5DpxnnSoJv
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 16, 2020
The Chiefs will be hoping to make it an English double in Europe by winning the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time at Ashton Gate on Saturday when they face Racing 92. Bristol should be back home by then and will no doubt be casting an eye over proceedings rather than celebrating a winning end to their season.
“I said to the players before the game, let’s go out and celebrate who we are and what that means. The way we play the game, our culture, the bit of love we have for each other,” said Lam. “The emphasis was about having a bit of joy. We knew we were going to be under pressure against a massive Toulon side. We came through it by sticking to the Bears way.
“The players did it on behalf of the whole squad and the saddest thing was that we couldn’t have everyone with us – Steve Lansdown and our captain, Steve Luatua. Congratulations to him and his wife, Olivia, on having a little girl 45 minutes before kick-off.
“Our whole vision was to inspire our community with some rugby success. This is a moment of inspiration, but we have to go back and get better. We aim to get better with every game and we are growing, but there is still a long way to go. It is still good for our development to have won a really good trophy.”
England flanker Ben Earl, on loan from Saracens, was voted man of the match, while Sheedy gave Wales coach Wayne Pivac a nudge with his points haul a week before Wales face France in Paris to start their autumn campaign. “It’s one of the first trophies Bristol have won in I don’t know how long.
“We were so calm and so controlled out there, even when we were behind, and we trusted in our system. I’m just so proud of the boys and our defence showed the character of the team. We’ve had a bit of a tough journey since being together in lockdown – some highs and then huge lows like last weekend.
“The mood in the camp after the Wasps result was very low and it took a lot to bounce back. But there was a confidence among the group that we were going to get the job done. You could tell the feeling was there right from the start of the game.”
He's inspired more than a couple…
What a story. Read the full interview with @BristolBears Joe Joyce and @heagneyl now on #TheXV
Link: https://t.co/QO1pN1KfqH pic.twitter.com/uc5d8FobnJ
— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) October 16, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 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.
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.
36 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
36 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
36 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.
36 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. 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.
36 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.
36 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.
2 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.
36 Go to comments