Robinson and Richards looking for quick starts
BRISTOL and Newcastle face an uphill battle in the Premiership this season but Andy Robinson and Dean Richards never took a step back as players and they will not do so as coaches.
Since returning to the Premiership in 2013, the Falcons have finished each season in 11th place while Bristol are finally back at the top of English rugby after seven years in the Championship.
The two are expected to be drawn into the relegation battle but Bristol boss Robinson is adamant his players will win more than they lose if they play at the best.
He told The Rugby Paper: “The players will have to be at their peak every week but I believe we’ll win games. That’s the mindset we’re going into this season with.
“We told the players what we did last year was okay but we had to improve by 20 per cent in all areas to thrive in the Premiership.
“I’d like us to start well because it’ll underline that we’ve had a good pre-season and what we’ve been doing is working.
“We’ve worked our socks off to get back to the Premiership and playing our opening game at Twickenham for the Double Header against Harlequins will be a great opportunity for us.”
Robinson has a long term commitment at Ashton Gate, having signed a three-year deal, but his next mission is to find the man who will replace him in 2019. He said: “The big thing for me was to get continuity for the club and I was lucky to have been offered a new contract.
“I’ll be looking for the next director of rugby over the next couple of years. I don’t know who it’ll be but I want to get the best people involved. It’s not about me, it’s about making sure the club keeps moving forward.”
Richards’ Falcons showed they could beat any team on their day with convincing home wins over Bath, Harlequins, Leicester and Northampton earlier this year.
But the former No.8 reckons they too often gifted easy points to the opposition and he is looking for a fast start this season.
He said: “By the European break after the first six games you tend to have a good idea of where you stand and the table doesn’t change that much after that so starting the season well is crucial.
“We’re opening with Sale at home which should be good. We’re confident we can beat them and they’ll be confident they can beat us so it’ll be a good contest.
“In the last two seasons we failed to get some of the points on offer. These small margins were highlighted and that’s what makes the difference in the Premiership. Taking opportunities will be our big goal this season.
“We worked very hard to score our tries last season but the opposition didn’t have to try as hard to score against us so we need to change that.”