Home truths as Joe dares to dream
Homegrown secondrow Joe Joyce is set to tick something off his rugby bucket list should he run out against Bath in Bristol Bears’ opening fixture of the coming season. Bristol will begin their Premiership campaign against local rivals Bath on August 31, in front of a crowd expected to exceed 20,000 people. wholesale changes have been made since their most recent, miserable, appearance in the english top-flight. The entire club has since undergone a process of gentrification, both in personnel and image. rebranded as the Bristol Bears; head coach Pat Lam has brought in 21 new players over the summer, including former wallaby captain george Smith and a number of experienced internationals. Through the turbulence of recent years at the club homegrown stalwart Joyce is one of the few that remain. when asked about the new faces that have joined, the academy graduate praised their star-quality and noted how competition for places has been “taken up a notch.” Head coach Lam has openly expressed the club’s desire to finish at least sixth in this year’s Premiership, in order to qualify for the european Champions’ Cup. But Joyce doesn’t appear fazed by the prospect of lining up against some of the world’s best. “It’s exciting” he said, “my ambition is to match their level.” with Bristol’s squad now riddled with experienced talent, their two upcoming pre-season fixtures will prove vital for those hoping to make the teamsheet against Bath. Aware of the fierce competition for places, Joyce remarked: “It feels like a cup mentality in pre-season which is strange, but that’s how big this Bath game is for myself and a lot of the players. “You’ve got to give your best account of yourself or you might miss out on your dream game,” he added. To run out against Bath at Ashton gate would be to realise a childhood dream for 24-year old Joyce. He recalls watching the fixture from the stands a youngster, saying: “To be involved against Bath at Ashton gate in front of 20,000 people would mean a lot to me.” Bristolian through and through, Joyce realises the dynamics of the local rivalry that places so much more at stake than simply points on the league table. He said: “every time these two sides come together there’s an added edge, a bigger crowd.” He’s even allowed reveries of derby-day winning tries to cross his mind, commenting: “you do visualise that on long journeys or before bed, but we’ll just see what happens.”