We gifted the game to Falcons, admits Lam

PAT Lam admitted Bristol Bears “gifted” their Gallagher Premiership game to Newcastle and urged his beleaguered players to “sort that out” over the coming weeks.

Last year’s table-toppers made it four losses from five matches so far this term – as many league defeats as they suffered in the whole of the 2020/21 campaign.

Both sides squandered multiple opportunities during the match, but the Falcons eventually came out on top via a converted Callum Chick try on the stroke of half-time, while fly-half Brett Connon added two late penalties to the extras on the touchdown.

The Bears had only an Alapati Leiua try to show for their efforts, and boss Lam was left to bemoan a host of errors and inaccuracies that cost the Bears.

“I can’t fault the effort out there,” said Lam. “But we had a lot of opportunities to win the game.

“Unfortunately, individual errors cost us, whether that’s missing touch, or turning the ball over by the way that we carried the ball. We trained on it all week and when we did it, we were superb.

“It’s a reflection on getting those sorted when we go away this time, but there was a lot of effort.

“Our defence was much better and today it just feels like we gifted that game over. At the end of the

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 13 BRISTOL BEARS ............... 5

day we say ‘we’, and it is ‘we’ because we’ll take the hit, but there’s a lot of me out there.

“They’ve got to sort that out. The boys were hurt in that sense, but ultimately we’ve got to finish this first stage.

“We’ve got a bit of a break now (Bristol have a bye week before visiting London Irish on Saturday, October 30) and we’ll launch the second part of our season.”

Falcons rugby director Dean Richards admitted: “It wasn’t a particularly entertaining game.

“It was in some respects but not in others, but to get our third win of the season, I’m happy with that.”

Newcastle: Brown; Radwan, Stevenson, Wright, Carreras; Connon, Schreuder; Brocklebank, McGuigan, Davison, Peterson, Merrick, Chick, Welch, Fearns. Replacements: Wacokecoke for Wright (63), NordliKelemeti for Schreuder (67), Cooper for Brocklebank (67), Blamire for McGuigan (67), Palframan for Davison (56), Montgomery for Merrick (59), Graham for Fearns (56). Not Used: Haydon-Wood.

Scorers – Tries: Chick. Cons: Connon. Pens: Connon 2.

Sin Bin: Connon (52).

Bristol: Lloyd; Fricker, Bates, Frisch, Leiua; Sheedy, Randall; Y Thomas, Kerr, Sinckler, Attwood, Joyce, Jeffries, D Thomas, Harding. Replacements: Whiteley for Lloyd (76), Powell for Sheedy (54), Uren for Randall (73), Lahiff for Y Thomas (57), Thacker for Kerr (57), Afoa for Sinckler (57), Heenan for D Thomas (67). Not Used: Hawkins.

Scorers – Tries: Leiua.

Attendance: 6,746.

Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU).