Malins keen to get back into England contention

MAX Malins will use the closing weeks of the season to give the England selectors a nudge ahead of the summer Tests against Japan and New Zealand after admitting he did not deserve to feature in the Six Nations.

The 27-year old fullback won the last of his 22 caps during the World Cup in France having played the first four matches of the 2023 Six Nations on the wing, but he was overlooked this year.

“I took a bit of time to settle in after the World Cup,” said Malins, who joined Bristol from Saracens in the summer having had a loan spell at Ashton Gate in 2020-21.

“I did not deserve to be picked in the Six Nations squad. The silver lining was that I got injured and so would not have been able to play in the tournament, but my motivation is to put in performances for Bristol.

“England is something to strive for but that means playing well. The first half of the season was disappointing for me and I was not happy with my performances which were too up and down.

“When we had the break for the Six Nations, I had a chat with Pat Lam (director of rugby) and the coaches. I said I knew I had more to give and I am enjoying it again now.

“As a team we have benefited from a change of mindset after we had lost a few games. We are playing in a way that suits us, ball in hand and putting our dangerous runners into space.”

Bristol looked out of the title race after losing five matches in a row from round three, but they have won six of their last seven and were the only side to record back-to-back victories when the league resumed after the Six Nations.

“We were not playing in the Bears way that people associate with us,” said Malins, right. “When I had a year on loan here, we were expansive and regularly got into the wide channels, but we had lost a bit of that.

“There were chats between the coaches, players and Steve Lansdown (owner) who wants to see exciting rugby. The defeat in Connacht was a turning point: a red card did not help but we went into our shells and shot ourselves in the foot.

“We put a big emphasis on skills during the long break, handling, passing and catching. Most of the defeats we had could have gone either way, but we were not good enough to see them out. We knew we were not far away and shut out the outside noise.

“Pat has been brilliant. He has such knowledge, puts detail into the gameplan and the options he presents are impressive. I do not think he rests and the passion is still there.”

Bristol face winless Newcastle at Ashton Gate today and will be expected to not just overcome the Falcons but bank a try bonus point for the fourth match in a row.

“They may not have won a game, but they have come close and will feel they should have had a few victories,” said Malins. “It was a slog for us up there earlier in the season and they have the motivation of getting that first win.

“Newcastle have a number of strengths, the breakdown being one, and have dangerous players in the back line. They can score tries from anywhere and we will have to be on our mettle. All four games to come will be hard and competitive, but we have to feel confident with the way we are going.

“We are under no illusions about how tough it will be. We looked at the table after the long break and said that all we could control was ourselves. Win our games and we will be in the play-offs but what this season has shown is that you cannot take anything for granted.

“It would be massive to finish in the top four after our season looked to be at a standstill but we can’t look any further ahead than Newcastle.”