Saracens will be ‘straight back into it’ says Lam

BRISTOL boss Pat Lam expects Saracens to be “straight back into it” when they make their Gallagher Premiership return.

Saracens, relegated from the Premiership in 2020 following persistent salary cap breaches and fined more than £5 million, will play their first domestic top-flight game for almost a year when they tackle Bristol at Ashton Gate in an eagerlyawaited season opener tomorrow.

Mark McCall’s men are back following an expected and emphatic Championship title-winning campaign last term.

All their leading names - star performers such as Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly and Billy Vunipola - remain, along with the likes of Nick Tompkins, Max Malins, and Ben Earl, who went out on seasonlong loans, the latter two to Bristol.

One look at the bookmakers’ odds - Saracens are joint title favourites with Exeter says everything about the expectations that accompany them.

“At the end of the day, Mark is still in charge there and there is still a core group there,” said Bristol director of rugby Lam, pictured. “They will be straight back into it. We all know the history of why they went into the Championship, but a core group went through there and a core group has come out of there as well.

“What it has done (Championship season) is give them a great chance to blood some youngsters, but nothing changes around the Saracens way. The bookies have put them as favourites.” Bristol finished top of the Premiership after last season’s regular 22-game league campaign, losing just four matches. But they then made a dramatic playoff exit, being beaten 43-36 by eventual champions Harlequins after extra-time.

It was the second successive season for Bristol to see their title hopes destroyed in the play-offs. Lam added: “Of course, everyone was disappointed by it and the opportunity we missed, but you deal with it as you do every game.

“What did we do well? How did we get to 28-0 ahead playing some of our best rugby? And then how did we lose the game?

“Then you take all the emotion out of it and get the boys away from that and look at the basics of a game of rugby and what we tried to achieve and what we didn’t.

“I had three players who made key mistakes, and before I even had to say anything, they spoke to me after the game and obviously they were upset. And then after looking at the game, they sent me personal messages. It was great because they highlighted the key mistakes they made that cost us in certain positions, and that’s great for a coach.”