Will Bristol pass Lam’s three-step challenge?
EXCLUSIVE Pat Lam tells Neale Harvey how he plans to lift his new club into Europe’s elite
In-bound Bristol head coach Pat Lam has laid out his manifesto for success – a future that includes Champions Cup rugby, greater England representation and a core of Bristolians at the heart of his Ashton Gate revolution.
Those lofty ambitions may seem fanciful for a club that have punched below their weight and face another stint in the Championship.
However, having taken Irish province Connacht from near extinction to the PRO12 title in 2016, the legendary Samoan back rower is confident of repeating his magic at a club possessing significantly greater financial muscle. Lam, 48, told The Rugby
Paper: “I set three goals for Connacht that are exactly the same for Bristol – and number one is being in the Champions Cup. We’re not interested in survival, we have to aim much higher than that.
“The second is making sure there are players playing for England. All players want to play at the highest level and we need a genuine pathway.
“Third, it’s vital to have a good representation of Bristolian players who are totally connected to local schools and clubs.
“At Connacht we achieved the Champions Cup, beating teams like Toulouse, Wasps and Bath; we had six players involved in the last Six Nations; and a high percentage of our squad was produced from the west of Ireland.
“I see the same for Bristol and it’s about ensuring that everything we do is international standard. I’ll tell players that when they get called up by England it won’t be a shock because they’ll have prepared to those standards.
“Everybody at Bristol – players, coaches and backroom staff – must aim for national teams and if we do that the games will take care of themselves, whether we’re in the Championship, the Premiership or playing Exeter or Rotherham.”
Bristol have long talked a good game, but Lam is confident he has the blueprint to ensure they deliver on their potential.
He added: “When I arrived at Connacht in 2013 they were the fourth Irish province with regards to perception and resources compared to Leinster, Ulster and Munster, so we needed to change their mindset and three things stood out.
“One, you’ve got to have a really good game that can challenge other teams regardless of what individuals you have.
“Two, you’ve got to have a really good culture because if you don’t enjoy being there and don’t want to work hard for each other or know what game you’re going to play, it isn’t going to work and you may as well move on.
“The third is about building and growing leadership so the players are driving everything hard on and off the field.
“We developed all those things at Connacht and the really pleasing thing is that while the club is still underresourced compared to the big three, in the last three years we’re the only team in Ireland to have won a trophy.
“I hope to bring these things to Bristol so that we can compete with the Saracens’ and Exeters.”
Lam has been accused of leaving Ireland only for the money, but he says sound rugby reasons were behind him pinning his colours to Bristol’s mast.
Lam said: “Put money to one side, the biggest thing for me was when I spoke to (chairman) Chris Booy and (owner) Steve Lansdown.
“You have to have clarity of vision and both are passionate Bristolians who looked at my work at Connacht and wanted me to bring that here.
“They understand the process, there are no surprises. I know where they want to head and they know all the things I’ll do to achieve that. A couple of other clubs talked to me but I knew my vision and Bristol’s were aligned.
“As for the money, we’re in a fickle business and people know the salary at Bristol is different. It’s also about my family and funding my kids’ education, but I still wouldn’t have taken this job if the vision wasn’t right.”
Lam has won a Premiership title with Newcastle, a Heineken Cup with Northampton, the PRO12 with Connacht and appeared at three World Cups for Samoa.
So how does the Championship grab him?
He adds: “I can’t control being in the Championship, but whether we’re playing Saracens or Ealing, what won’t change is what we do day-to-day, on and off the field. Rather than just follow, we want to push the boundaries.
“Teams will gun for Bristol but we’ll have total respect for our opposition and it’s up to our guys to prove they are top-flight players. Bristol’s hungry for success and we want to stamp our mark – there’s only one way to go.”