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'We've got 94 per cent availability': Bristol's rude health 52 weeks into non-stop year
Pat Lam had celebrated the unstinting work of his backroom staff at Bristol who have ensured the Bears are preparing for this Saturday’s home Gallagher Premiership semi-final with just two of the senior squad – hooker Bryan Byrne and winger Siva Naulago – unavailable for selection.
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It was this week last year when Bristol first began their post lockdown training and their squad has been exhaustingly on the go since then as there were only a few winter weeks in between the end of the delayed 2019/20 campaign and the start of the 2020/21 season. That sounds like a recipe for disaster but Bristol have instead emerged from that onerous workload to reach the playoff stages of the latest Premiership in rude health after topping the table.
Last Saturday’s eleventh-hour cancellation of their round 22 match versus London Irish was effectively the only respite they have had in a year where they were Premiership semi-finalists and Challenge Cup winners last October and they went on to reach the Champions Cup round of 16 in April before going on to clinch the No1 semi-final seed in this Premiership.
It’s progress that Lam is immensely proud of and his pride was evident in the enthusiastic way he ran through a pile of seasonal stats when speaking at the Bristol media session ahead of this Saturday’s Ashton Gate Premiership semi-final versus Harlequins.
“I’m excited,” he said. “There has certainly been another lift as we get to the end. You have got to remember that yesterday [Tuesday, June 15] a year ago we started stage one of training with small groups, seven-hour days, guys coming in on groups of six. It’s 52 weeks ago. It’s been a long year and some serious commitment by a lot of people to get to this stage and we have got 94 per cent availability on the basis of some quality work from our head of medical Rory Murray and his team and our head of S&C Kev Geary and his team. It’s been a massive effort.
But for specialist work earlier this season with the Bristol RTP team, the tighthead wouldn't have been able to accept Sunday's Lions call#Springboks #LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/ToP71CteYr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 9, 2021
“We have used 44 players in the 21 Premiership games (this season) and some of the so-called rock stars have played less… (Kyle) Sinckler, (Max) Malins, (Harry) Randall, (Ben) Earl – seven games. (Semi) Radradra, (Siale) Piutau, Siva Naulago – nine games. Callum Sheedy, Charles Piutau, (Luke) Morahan – 12 games, 13 games. Even Steven Luatua and Nathan (Hughes), only 14 of those games.
“So when I look at who has played the most, it’s a pretty satisfying list. Andy Uren, Jake Woolmore, Piers O’Connor, Will Capon, Yann Thomas, Dan Thomas, It has been a massive effort and we are looking forward to it. Huge credit to Rory and Kev and to the players. To get to this stage, the effort we put in allowed rotation. We have a pretty full-strength squad to select from and that brings its own headaches.
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“The main two (unavailable) who would have been in contention are Bryan Byrne, who has had some surgery on his knee, and also Siva Naulago, who is recovering from his knee. He should be ready to go fit and ready for the start of next season, Bryan a little bit longer but otherwise everyone else is available.”
Adding to the sense of unbridled Lam pride was how, for instance, scrum-half Uren is a local from Bristol who goes out of his way to welcome people into the title-challenging Premiership fold. “Really proud of these guys,” continued the coach about the non-rock star names who have helped the club’s stars to excel.
“I look at the top of the list, Andy Uren, he was in the academy when I got here and he has got a great heart. People joke at him that he becomes best mates with Stevie Luatua when he arrived, best mates with Charles Piutau, best mates with Semi Radradra but he actually does that with everybody. He has got a great heart. He is proud of Bristol, he is proud of where he is from. He and Joe Joyce has been a great example of a Bristolian.
“People talked about the loss of Harry Randall (to February injury). Harry had come in my second year and has been excellent too but to me, I see them both equal. They are two half-backs that have given heart and soul, and Andy had to shoulder a lot of those minutes and responsibility and he has done extremely well.
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“Jake Woolmore, second on the list. When I talked to him in Jersey he was hungry for an opportunity. He was at Exeter originally, got let go there and went down to the Championship. He has come on and been superb for us. Piers O’Conor was moving around from Wasps academy to Bedford and then he was at Ealing and we gave him an opportunity.
“Will Capon, when I arrived here he had just finished school at Bristol Grammar and my son, when we were looking at schools, he was the prefect at the school showing my son and me around. Now he has come through and played 18-odd games.
“And then Yann Thomas has come all the way back. He was in Rouen, let go by Gloucester, thought his days in Premiership were gone and he has been a mainstay for our pack. The list goes on.
“Dan Thomas, he came back and has been a superstar for us as well. And then Ioan Lloyd, straight out of school we gave him an opportunity. He played Bath, came on, scored a try on his debut. Those guys have done the programme proud, all the people that have worked with these guys. It has been superb.”
'Can you imagine a Premiership club going ‘Right lads, we’re going skiing’. Absolutely no way… it was me, Bryan Habana & Duane Vermeulen learning to ski together' @Dmjattwood fell out of love with rugby at Bath but found it again, writes @heagneyl ??? https://t.co/QWWZQPD1Ek
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 21, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Poetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
2 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
2 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
90 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
90 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
90 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
90 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
90 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
90 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
90 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
90 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
90 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
90 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
90 Go to comments