Plans for great things from new faces
Pat Lam doesn’t just want to beat Bath next Friday, he wants to beat everyone, every week. The Bristol Bears’ head coach’s ambition to become a Champions Cup team has not diminished now the enormity of that task is right in front of him. as the new season looms, Lam reiterated the visionary message he first conveyed when he was presented to the press for the first time 13 months ago. He said: “You can’t get into the Champions Cup from the Championship, so the first step was to get out of it and get promoted, and we’ve done that. “The second step now is you have to finish in the top six to be a Champions Cup team for the following season. and the dream is when you think of Bristol Rugby that they are a Champions Cup team. “History tells you where you come from, but your vision tells you where you are heading. “You take learnings from history, but it’s the vision, and our vision is very clear in terms of what we want to do. We want to inspire our community through rugby success on and off the field. “We’ve made it very clear that we want to be a Champions Cup team, we want players in Bristol coming through our programme playing for England, and we want Bristolians to be in the team as well.” However Lam admitted he has never had to integrate so many players into a squad as he has this summer, with a staggering 21 new faces coming in. Lam explained: “Like every coach when you move you inherit a team, but you have plan of where you want to get to. You give everyone a chance but ultimately I wanted to strengthen the side, particularly with English qualified players, we only had 50 per cent English qualified.” Here is a look at the top five recruits Bristol have added this summer: George Smith
What hasn’t this man done in the world game. He may be 38 but Wallabies legend George Smith is still going strong. The openside flanker made his australia debut back in 2000, and went on to win 111 caps in an incredibly successful era for the country which included reaching the 2003 World Cup final, which they of course lost to England. His club career has seen him play for the Brumbies, Lyon, Queensland Reds, Stade Français, toulon, Suntory Sungoliath and Wasps. Wherever he goes player of the year awards
seemingly follow. His influence at improving the forward play at Premiership side Wasps was heralded by even world class internationals. Smith’s abilities at the breakdown are so well thought of he was brought into the England camp by Eddie Jones to coach the back row.
Charles Piutau
Piutau, who can play full-back, wing or centre, joins from ulster in the summer where he was named the Pro12 Player’s Player of the Year in 2017. With 16 New Zealand caps to his name and a reputation as one of the most talented players in World rugby, Piutau will join his brother, Siale, in the West Country. The deal to bring one of the most dangerous attacking backs in world rugby was announced in august 2017, a season ahead of his arrival. Piutau has also played for Wasps in the aviva Premiership and auckland Blues in Super Rugby.
John afoa
WORLD Cup-winning all Black and experienced prop, John afoa, joins Bristol from West Country rivals Gloucester. The tighthead moves from the Cherry and Whites to bolster Pat Lam’s front-row options ahead of an expected return to the aviva Premiership. The former auckland Blues and ulster front-rower made his all Blacks debut against Ireland during the 2005 Grand Slam tour of the home unions, and looks set to slot seamlessly into Lam’s blueprint. He has 36 caps for New Zealand.
nic Stirzaker
DESCRIBED as having the best pass in australia by former Wallabies half-back and 1991 World Cup-winning captain, Nick Farr-jones, scrum-half Nic Stirzaker is an exceptional addition to Pat Lam’s squad for the 2018/19 campaign. The London-born Stirzaker also featured for the Barbarians against the all Blacks and tonga last November and spent a brief spell at aviva Premiership side Saracens as injury cover earlier this season. Stirzaker is also a Super Rugby regular for Melbourne Rebels, a side he skippered in 2017.
harry thacker
a SKILLFUL dynamo of a hooker, Harry Thacker is a hugely exciting addition to Pat Lam’s squad for the 2018/19 season. Thacker joins from Leicester tigers and was nominated for the Land Rover discovery of the Season award during the 2015/16 campaign. The former tigers hooker also played in the back row during his time at Welford Road.