Lam wants Hughes to rediscover best form
PAT Lam admits Bristol Bears need Nathan Hughes to return to his maximum level of performance with the England forward out of favour in recent weeks, losing his place in the starting XI and matchday squad.
No 8 Hughes was dropped following the Bears’ 44-8 defeat to Wasps on September 25 and has since found his route back into the back row blocked by the impressive displays of 22-year-old Fitz Harding.
The 30-year-old hasn’t made two of the last three matchday squads but featured last week for the A-side in a 68-5 win over Pontypool.
Given Hughes’ reputation in the game and status as a standout signing made by the club in 2019, it has raised slight doubts over his future at Ashton Gate with the Rugby Paper claiming earlier this month his representatives were actively exploring a move to France.
But Bears director of rugby Lam insists Hughes remains firmly onmessage and is working hard to win his place back and help turn the Bears’ disappointing start to the season around after four defeats from their opening five matches.
“It’s an honest conversation with Nate. He’s been fantastic. He led our A-side and it’s about him getting him back to his best, because we need him,” Lam said, as the Bears resumed training in Abbots Leigh on Monday following their bye week.
“But, to be fair, Fitz Harding has come in and done an unbelievable job; and that’s when I talk about competition and Nate now has competition there. And that’s what I want and what I look for.
“Nate was the first to say all he can do is get back into it. Once you let someone in there ... but the pressure is now on Fitzy. Now Nate has got to push him and that’s what I want all the way through.
“We’ve achieved a lot from people competing against each other. Nate’s working hard and trying to get back and once he gets his opportunity, we all want him to take it.
“It’s nothing about the attitude (of the player), it’s about performance. I don’t mix relationship and performance; it’s important but whether you’re staff or player, you have to perform. If there’s someone else who’s performing better, they get the opportunity.”
Those “honest conversations” Lam speaks of revolve around his weekly individual post-match debriefs, held with each member of the playing squad to assess their performance in the previous game focusing on the good, bad and how areas can be improved.
Lam would never divulge the exact content of his conversations with specific individuals but it’s a process that he has maintained throughout his time at the club, and remains the same whether it’s an emerging academy player or an established international performer, such as Hughes.
“The boys are great because it gives transparency, consistency and honesty,” added Lam. “Regardless of who you are and where you sit in the team, you go through that process and that’s what the boys respect.
“They play a big part of that, they do a lot of the talking. I ask the questions. Your greatest tool is your selfawareness. Nate was the first to admit to me it wasn’t his best performance (against Wasps).
“But the key then is we put together a plan on how we get that, and that’s not just Nate that’s all the guys. There is always something a player can improve on.”
Hughes will be in contention to face London Irish on Saturday, however whether he’ll make the matchday squad remains to be seen.
The extra time off has given the Bears squad a chance to rest and recuperate, with the players not training in the seven days after the bruising 13-8 defeat to Newcastle Falcons.
Such has been the story of the season so far, Lam has had to grapple with constant injury issues with key performers but ahead of Saturday’s game he was remaining largely coy on injuries.
When around the status of his injured players, he responded: “It’s always ongoing because of niggles and you’re always weighing up the risk of further injuries. But we’re okay.”
When asked to specify the status of Steven Luatua, who has missed the last two games with a calf injury, and Luke Morahan, who has a hamstring issue, he added: “All of these guys, when we name the team you’ll see if these guys are available.”
Charles Piutau is expected to return against Exiles, having been left out of the trip to Newcastle due to injury concerns around the artificial surface at Kingston Park.