‘These games are all about guts’ – Pat Lam

David Skippers
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Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam praised his players for “gutsing it out” as they fought back to snatch a dramatic late 16-12 victory over Saracens at a rain-soaked Ashton Gate on Saturday.

A penalty try four minutes from time saw the Bears earn a sixth successive Premiership win and climb one place, to second, in the table – and Lam hailed the defensive character of his side.

“I’m pleased. Obviously, we trained in some beautiful weather and we have a game we love to play,” he said. “But if you look at the change in the weather, the experience of Saracens, certainly a lot of things were in their favour.

“We didn’t have as much time on the ball as we’d like but our defence was huge, our scrummaging was huge and that’s credit to our coaches.

“It’s a credit to the boys, they gutsed it out. We know it wasn’t the best performance, but these games are all about guts – you’ve just got to hang in there.”

There were debuts for three of the club’s new arrivals, in the form of Semi Radradra, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Earl, against his parent club – and Lam was pleased with their contribution.

“I think all three (Radradra, Sinckler, Earl) were superb in the sense of giving everything for the team,” he added.

“The game was how the game was. It was never going to be pretty because it was spoiled by the weather.

“We stayed in a system of defence and Ben and Kyle scrummed really well, put their bodies in there, hustled around the field.

“Semi didn’t get the opportunities that he wanted but he gave us confidence in terms of his presence and work off the ball.”

 

Bristol Pat Lam