https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/apr/04/bristol-survival-bid-the-clash-bath-twickenham
Bristol chasing Europe not just safety in Twickenham ‘Clash’ with Bath
Pat Lam is adamant his players’ positive intent will not waver even if they are dragged back down into a relegation dogfight but he is looking up
When Bath opted to shift their home fixture against Bristol to Twickenham and market it as “the Clash” they did not imagine the uneasy scenario now confronting them. Should Bristol win on Saturday it will mark the first time since 2005 they have beaten Bath three times in a row and will bolster the Bears’ chances of qualifying for Europe above their West Country rivals.
A bonus-point victory allied to defeats for the bottom three teams – Newcastle, Worcester and Leicester – would also virtually guarantee Bristol safety from relegation, no mean achievement given the challenges they have had to face as a promoted side. In addition, it would justify their continuing faith in an open, adventurous brand of rugby which some critics initially branded as naive and foolhardy.
From their rousing opening-night win over Bath at Ashton Gate, Bristol have been a delight to watch and their director of rugby, Pat Lam, believes some other clubs could learn from how the Bears have approached this campaign. While his side’s defence has not always been watertight, Lam is adamant his players’ positive intent will not waver even if they are dragged back down into a relegation dogfight.
“People think we run the ball out of own half and it’s high-risk but we’ve trained to do that so we don’t look at it as risky,” says Lam, employing a flying analogy to explain his coaching philosophy. “If you put me on a plane and then asked me to fly it, that’s high-risk. If you put a trained pilot in the plane, it’s low-risk. It’s all very well talking about playing with no fear but the more you train how to implement it the better chance you have of it coming off.”
Having steered Connacht to the 2016 Pro12 title before joining Bristol, the Auckland-born former Samoa forward has also not wavered in his determination to look up rather than down. The Bears are only five points behind fifth-placed Northampton and even the injury absences of their star All Black, Charles Piutau, has not curtailed their attacking mindset. “From the start we’ve painted a vision of what we’re trying to achieve and how we want to play and train,” says Lam. “The whole focus has been on around the process, because the outcome will then take care of itself. Regardless of whether we win by 50 or lose by 50, we ask every day what we did well and what we can do better.”
More than most clubs they have also been prepared to take a punt on homegrown youth. Lam did the same in Galway, helping Jack Carty and Kieran Marmion progress from the Connacht academy to full Ireland caps, and Bristol’s two highly promising scrum-halves, Andy Uren and Harry Randall, are among those now making rapid strides. Uren, 23, is a local lad with the ability to make things happen while the diminutive Randall, 22, has represented both England and Wales at age-group level and is another sparky presence.
Lam has been sufficiently impressed not to have bothered looking around for bigger-name half-backs. “I’ve had to turn down any amount of quality, experienced 9s because I’ve seen the potential of these two boys,” says Lam. “The best way for them to get experience is to get game time and the two of them are pushing each other week in, week out, alongside Nic Stirzaker. Part of our vision is to develop players for England; that’s why we put the time into these guys.”
Only Newcastle and Leicester, meanwhile, have scored fewer tries than seventh-placed Bath, who were well beaten at Exeter in their last league fixture and have won away from the Rec in the league just once since September. Ticket sales for the Clash have nevertheless been buoyant, with the club hoping for a crowd of around 60,000. A live performance from the Wurzels is among the day’s featured attractions.
