No panic for Lam, second chapter can salvage story
PAT LAM divided Bristol’s season into four parts before the start of the campaign and with the second starting this week he is confident the Bears remain on course despite a poor opening which included heavy defeats at Wasps and Quins before yesterday’s defeat at Newcastle.
Bristol went into this weekend’s round of matches with the worst defensive record in the Premiership having conceded 18 tries and 142 points in their first four games.
Leaders Leicester have given away virtually half that number, 73, in the same number of outings but DoR Lam believes the season is salvageable.
“Results have not been what we would have liked, but there have been positive areas and we will be taking those into the second part of the season after the first five rounds,” he said.
“I am excited by the foundations we have laid. When you look at the progress we have made in the last five years, we have grown through adversity.
“I am who I am now because of adversity and while some may think it is doom and gloom after the first part of the season, it can build us for the next bit. People will think I am waffling, but I have belief in this group. We need to show it on the field, but I know what’s going on here.
“I am excited by what the last few weeks can do for us going forward. We would love to have won every game, but what counts is who gets the trophy at the end of the season.”
Having squandered a 28-0 lead at home to Harlequins in last June’s play-off semi-final at Ashton Gate, the Bears were 21-0 ahead at The Stoop in the last round but when Marcus Smith came off the bench in the 26thminute the game changed.
The home side scored their first try two minutes later after a missed tackle and went on to accumulate seven more as they broke the 50-point mark against Bristol in the Premiership for the first time. Bristol’s defence lost its shape and their grip on the game, which had been so firm, slackened as they conceded 45 unanswered points in the second half.
“Quins are a class side, particularly on attack, which is why we went into the game with the intention of keeping the ball,” said Lam. “We scored three tries and then started kicking possession away, which was not part of the plan. Give a team like that a chance, they will at come at you.
“They are playing with a lot of confidence and we fed that. They showed why they are champions and you do not make mistakes against these guys. The difference between that defeat and the one at Wasps was that the amount of effort was there, from the line breaks to the scramble defence.”
Bristol were without a number of players for the trip to The Stoop, not least Semi Radradra, Siva Naulago and skipper Steven Luatua, but the player they are arguably missing the most is Siale Piutau, the Tonga centre who left in the summer after four years at the club when he provided an understated presence in midfield.
They have used three players in his position in the opening five weekends of the campaign and their total of 18 tries conceded in four matches compares unfavourably to last season when they reached that number in their 10th game.
“Nothing changes in terms of the process,” said Lam. “It is always honest, the only way you learn. You have to shut out the surrounding noise and focus on getting better, which is what we are doing. We just carry on.
“At the moment we look rubbish but the key is finding out what is breaking down and getting to work on fixing it. We are not playing at our best, but we have had some moments of really good rugby. We are working hard on and off the ball and it is about coming out on the other side.”