Score doesn’t reflect our effort, says Lam
BRISTOL Bears director of rugby Pat Lam was insistent that his side’s 30-point defeat away to Gallagher Premiership leaders Leicester was not reflective of the endeavour shown by his players.
Former England wing Chris Ashton ran in a hat-trick to make it a record 95 top-flight tries as the Tigers maintained their charge at the summit.
The Bears scored a quartet of tries through Jack Bates, Toby Fricker, Harry Thacker and Chris Vui, while Callum Sheedy kicked one conversion and Tiff Eden two.
Lam said: “The score doesn’t reflect the effort a lot of our boys put in. Unfortunately, what it reflected was all the silly, stupid turnovers that we gave – that’s sort of the story of our season, that someone makes a mistake and then the boys have to work hard to cover it up.
“Even right to the very end the boys are hanging in there and we probably put ourselves under pressure, but when you turn over against a team that’s in form, a team that’s having their day, it makes it hard.
“I’m proud of the effort, but certainly there were some poor
LEICESTER TIGERS ....... 56 BRISTOL BEARS ............. 26
mistakes from some individuals this afternoon.
“Leicester are the gold standard at the moment. This is their time. They’re doing well, and fair play to them. Everyone has their day and we will get our day back.”
Leicester head coach Steve Borthwick paid tribute to evergreen try-machine Ashton.
He said: “We all know what a quality player he is. What’s struck me most is that I played alongside him many years ago and you can’t tell very much difference. I’ve aged a lot and he’s (stayed) the same.” Leicester: Steward; Ashton, Moroni, Porter, Potter; Ford, B Youngs; Genge, Montoya, Cole, Wells, Green, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese. Replacements: Nadolo for Porter (50), Wigglesworth for B Youngs (55), Whitcombe for Genge (59), Clare for Montoya (50).
Not Used: Heyes, Snyman, Robinson, Burns.
Scorers – Tries: Ashton 3, B Youngs, Moroni, Steward, Wiese, Potter. Cons: Ford 4, Burns. Pens:
Ford 2.
Bristol: I Lloyd; Fricker, Bates, O’Connor, Purdy;
Sheedy, Randall; Woolmore, Thacker, Afoa, Joyce, Vui, Luatua, Jeffries, Harding. Replacements: Eden for Sheedy (37), Leiua for Purdy (59), Uren for Randall (56), Benz-Salomon for Woolmore (70), Armstrong for Afoa (59), Hawkins for Luatua (65), D Thomas for Jeffries (56). Not Used: Capon.
Scorers – Tries: Bates, Fricker, Thacker, Vui. Cons: Sheedy, Eden 2.
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).