Rugby We’ll keep on entertaining, says Lam, ahead of season opener
PAT Lam’s faith in the highrisk, entertaining style of rugby Bristol Bears play remains unwavering despite the club’s dramatic defeat to Harlequins in last seasons’ semi-final.
Having finished top of the table at the end of the regular season, and with half-an-hour gone at Ashton Gate in the semi-final back in June, the Bears had one foot in the final, leading 28-0 having played some of their best rugby since Lam’s arrival almost four years earlier. But Harlequins’ belief, a series of errors from the Bears, and loss of control of the momentum of the match saw Quins peg Bristol back to win 36-43 in overtime.
For some coaches, it could have been a crushing blow that caused them to reevaluate their philosophies on the game. But Lam remains resolute.
Speaking ahead of the new Gallagher Premiership season, which sees the Bears kick-off the new campaign at home to Saracens tonight, Lam said: “I honestly believe we have got a game that can beat any team with our structure of the game and how I would like it to be played.
“What I am dependant on is the players to come and play the game. I will never bring the game down to the players, it is up to the players to come up to the game-plan.
“That is the importance of having quality staff and coaches (to upskill them) and that is what we are doing.
“At the end of the day we have got human beings playing the game and as human beings all of us make mistakes, the key is if you raise the boys’ self-awareness of our system and structures they will identify where the improvements need to be.
“I had three players who made key mistakes (in the second half of the semi-final) and before I even had to say anything they sent me a personal message to highlight what they had done wrong - which is great.
“That is great as a coach, the worst thing is when people sit there saying I didn’t do anything wrong and there is a blame culture.
“It is not the (style of our) game that lost us the semi-final, it is about our ability to do it.”
After a British & Irish Lions series this summer which left fans underwhelmed by a dull, uninventive style of rugby played by Warren Gatland’s side in the 2-1 series defeat in South Africa, questions have been raised as to whether
coaches have a duty to the game to play an entertaining brand of rugby. Saracens, for all their European and domestic success in the last decade, play a brand of rugby moe akin to the latest incarnation of the Lions. A game built on territory, pressure and physicality.
In many ways. Bristol are the polar opposite, but Lam believes you can still win silverware as swashbucklers.
The 2019-20 European Challenge Cup trophy sits in his office as evidence he is right, as is the Premiership trophy at Quins who play an equally attacking and flamboyant brand of the game.
Lam said: “I think the way I want to play the game can both entertain and win. It can achieve both.
“The way everyone gets the opportunity to play every element of the game, to run with the ball, pass, clean out, make tackles - but the biggest thing they all get the opportunity to do is to improve as a rugby player, and improve in learning the game.
“I believe our way is entertaining because it is an all-round game. It is not about running everything or kicking everything, it is about using what is needed to win rugby games and it is generally entertaining as I have been told and as our 10,000 season ticket holders - which is a record - can attest to.
“There are going to be 20,000 at Ashton Gate for Saracens, Bath looks set to be a sell-out, people wouldn’t come if it was boring and they also won’t come if we are losing.”
Steven Luatua will skipper the Bears from the back row, while eight internationals have been named in the starting line-up. Bristol: Charles Piutau; Luke Morahan, Piers O’Conor, Alapati Leiua, Ioan Lloyd; Callum Sheedy, Andy Uren; Jake Woolmore, Harry Thacker, Max Lahiff, Ed Holmes, Chris Vui, Steven Luatua, Dan Thomas, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Will Capon, Yann Thomas, Jake Armstrong, Dave Attwood, Jake Heenan, Harry Randall, Sam Bedlow, Niyi Adeolokun.
Saracens: Elliott Obatoyinbo; Alex Lewington, Dom Morris, Nick Tompkins, Rotimi Segun; Alex Lozowski, Aled Davies; Ralph Adams-Hale, Tom Woolstencroft, Marco Riccioni, Nick Isiekwe, Tim Swinson, Jackson Wray, Ben Earl, Billy Vunipola. Replacements: Kapeli Pifeleti, Richard Barrington, Alec Clarey, Callum Hunter-Hill, Sean Reffell, Joe Simpson, Manu Vunipola, Ben Harris.