Bears must have learned, says Lam

Players all have an opportunity to benefit from late collapse at Irish, insists boss

BRISTOL Bears boss Pat Lam says his Gallagher Premiership pacesetters have “taken our medicine” after their remarkable London Irish collapse and are ready for Leicester this afternoon.

The table-topping Bears squandered a huge lead to draw 34-34 with London Irish last weekend and saw their advantage at the summit cut to three points.

“We’ve taken our medicine and we have to bounce back against an in-form Leicester team,” Bears rugby director Lam told the official club website ahead of today’s clash.

“Having a 21-point lead with 16 minutes to go and drawing the game – how do we respond to that; how do we learn?

“That’s what I said to the guys when we did the review: all of you who were on the field for that last 20 minutes, you’re the privileged ones.

“You’re the ones who went through it and learn from it, so it’s a plus for them.”

Leicester have won two of their last three games, including a 27-8 derby victory over Wasps last week.

The Tigers have moved up to eighth place in the Premiership and head coach Steve Borthwick, who spent a short time on the staff at Bristol before joining Eddie Jones’ England set-up in 2015, has instilled some of the forward power of old at Welford Road.

Borthwick said: “Every game we play, we add to the little experience we have together as a group and continue to build as a squad and teammates.

“We are aware of the challenge ahead of us at Ashton Gate and we’re excited for the opportunity to take on

the Premiership’s top team at this point in our journey as a group.”

Joe Joyce, right, returns to the Bristol starting line-up following a shoulder injury, while Alapati Leiua replaces the suspended Sam Bedlow in the midfield, Ioan Lloyd starts at fly-half as Callum Sheedy returns to

Six Nations duty with Wales, and Niyi Adeolokun is included in the 23-man matchday squad.

In the pack, Jake Woolmore comes into the front row, while Jake Heenan moves to number eight.

Between Six Nations call-ups, injuries and suspensions the Bears have a whole host of unavailable players, including Harry Thacker,

Bryan Byrne, Kyle Sinckler, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Dave Attwood, Ben Earl, Nathan Hughes, Harry Randall, Chris Cook, Sheedy, Max Malins, Bedlow, Semi Radradra, Siale Piutau and Henry Purdy.

Bristol Bears: C Piutau; L Morahan, P O’Conor, A

Lieua, S Naulago; I Lloyd, A Uren; J Woolmore, W Capon, J Afoa, C Vui, J Joyce, S Luatua (capt), D Thomas, J Heenan. Replacements: G Kloska, Y Thomas, J Armstrong, E

Holmes, F Harding, T Kessell, T Eden, N Adeolokun.