Latest news with #PatLam
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Bristol Bears sign Georgia back row Ivanishvili
Bristol Bears have signed Georgia international back row forward Luka 23-year-old, who can operate across the back row, joins from Georgian side Black Lion and has won 23 caps for his country, including appearances at the 2023 Rugby World director of rugby Pat Lam told the club website, external: "Luka is a young, powerful, all-action back-row forward with huge potential, who will strengthen the depth and competition in our back row."He is comfortable wearing six, seven or eight, where he likes to bring physicality, especially in his defence and at the breakdown with his ability to win turnovers."He showed in his performances recently versus South Africa what a talent he is."
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tainton appointed new Bristol Bears CEO
Bristol Bears have appointed Tom Tainton as the club's new chief executive 36, has worked at the club for the past decade, most recently as chief operating officer since 2022.A club statement, external said Tainton would work closely with director of rugby Pat Lam and the board to "create structures that will support the men's and women's teams to compete for silverware"."It's a privilege to lead my boyhood club in a new chapter for the Bears and I'm passionate about playing my part in its future," Tainton said."We are an organisation that prides ourselves on being different and pushing the boundaries – this is an exciting time for rugby and our ambition is for Bears to be at the forefront of leading that positive change."I'm looking forward to continuing to work with the owners, board, staff and the players to bring sustainable success to Bristol."
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Why I totally underestimated Leicester Tigers
Some aspects of this domestic campaign have been difficult to rationalise, but we know one thing for sure: Premiership coaches take heed of this website. In the wake of his side's loss to Bath on Friday night, Pat Lam suggested that Bristol Bears had overachieved because 'everyone predicted we'd be eighth this season'. Less than 24 hours later, Michael Cheika revealed that one of the Leicester Tigers analysts had shown him a headline forecasting Sale Sharks to be in the Premiership final. The combative Australian had also been made aware of a misguided mid-April article speculating that Leicester, who were third at the time, would finish as low as sixth. Well, the attention is flattering and accountability is a good thing. We get a fair bit right. But I am happy to admit that I drastically underestimated this Tigers team. Of four critical Premiership fixtures since the Six Nations, I thought they would lose on the road to Northampton Saints and Bristol as well as in both home games against Sale. They won all of them; the first three handily and the latest, Saturday's semi-final, despite spurning nine points off the tee as well as three more after a skewed drop-goal attempt from Handre Pollard. Leicester have responded remarkably to a truly insipid Champions Cup defeat by Glasgow Warriors on April 5, landing five victories from six to navigate a congested league table and set up a defining date with Bath. No doubt they will relish praise being piled on to their opponents during the build-up, even if it is justified. Tigers thrive with a chip on their shoulder. They are better when a little bitter. In that respect, Cheika has been a fitting figurehead for a resurgent, restorative season. This term was never going to be dull and has not been without turbulence. Matt Everard, a hard-working and well-regarded defence coach, was dismissed abruptly following thrashings by Bristol and Toulouse in the space of a month. Leicester conceded 134 points across those two grisly games. Off the field, Cheika opted not to extend his contract and the search for his successor was not easy. Recruiting a fly-half to replace Pollard, a hunt that brought them to James O'Connor, became trickier as a result. Perhaps that uncertainty made it easier to forget that the current Tigers roster still represented a potent blend of youth and experience; a squad pressing up against the ceiling of the salary cap that has ripened. To use the Eddie Jones theory of maturation cycles, they are close to 12 on the clock face and reaching a peak. Nicky Smith, the Wales loosehead prop, always looked an excellent signing last summer and the January addition of electric wing Adam Radwan from Newcastle Falcons has been transformative – a coup for which general manager Richard Wilks deserves praise. Alex Sanderson, the Sale boss, commended Cheika's Tigers for an astute and accurate display on Saturday. Ferocity was a non-negotiable, especially at home, but Leicester were undeniably smart. Crucially, there is a balance to their front-line team now as well. Freddie Steward at full-back is an ideal foil for Radwan and Ollie Hassell-Collins, with the latter enjoying a fine campaign on the left wing. He has plundered 13 tries while growing more assured in defence and as an aerial operator. In the back row, the rangy Hanro Liebenberg and Tommy Reffell complement one another nicely. Nobody could have replicated Jasper Wiese's savagery, though Olly Cracknell has been thunderous at No 8. Solomone Kata's powerful carrying in midfield aids his forwards. Equally, the poise and intelligence of Joseph Woodward at centre has alleviated pressure on Pollard as a playmaker. Another youngster to emerge, Emeka Ilione, is revelling in a defined role; to arrive off the bench and cause carnage at the breakdown. If Cheika has no other lasting legacy in English rugby union, trusting those two will have been worthwhile. His own experience is valuable when stakes are high. Two replacements, Ben Volavola and Izaia Perese, combined for the match-winning try against Sale within seconds of Cheika introducing them. Other moments encapsulated a performance of intuition and subtlety as well as primal commitment. Radwan's first try came from a defence that has been steeled by Kiwi coach Dave Kidwell. Cam Henderson and Liebenberg wrapped up Jean-Luc du Preez at a restart and forced a rushed offload that was coughed up by Raffi Quirke: A dominant scrum ensued, Kata clattered over the gain-line and Jack van Poortvliet spun to feed the speed of Radwan as quickly as possible. Minutes later, George Ford sent Ben Curry through the middle of the Tigers line. Reffell bust a gut to retreat and track Quirke, discouraging an inside pass to the supporting scrum-half that could have yielded seven points. Cracknell eventually snaffled a loose ball: In the second period, after Radwan and Steward had combined to fell Arron Reed, Woodward dropped to the back-field cleverly to claim a Quirke box-kick and call for a mark: Three precious points were eked out when Henderson was alert enough to complete a tackle Joe Carpenter and Reffell bustled in. Bevan Rodd could only clear from the side: Ollie Chessum is another huge asset to Leicester. The sky is the limit for their sole British and Irish Lion of 2025 (so far) should fitness allow and he has won nine of his 10 Premiership appearances this season. Respect for the set piece is a staple of Tigers tradition and with Chessum, Henderson and Liebenberg in a match-day 23, they should always run a polished line-out operation for 80 minutes, securing possession and frustrating rivals with steals. The same applies to the scrum. There are one-two punches at loosehead, with Smith and James Cronin, and at tighthead, with Joe Heyes and Dan Cole. Deputy hookers do not come more reliable and robust than Charlie Clare either and another replacement against Sale was Matt Rogerson, the erstwhile captain of London Irish. George Martin was sitting in the stands and Tigers still fielded an imposing pack. Spearheading it was skipper Julián Montoya, among their departing heroes. A belligerent yet classy competitor, he and Reffell walked directly to the Sale bench to commiserate amid the chaos of Saturday's finale. Montoya's existing relationship with Cheika from their period together at the helm of Argentina has seemed significant. The standing ovation Montoya received from Welford Road as he dragged his battered body over the touchline with 10 minutes remaining in the semi-final was touching and served to reinforce the galvanising force of goodbyes. Pollard, Cole and Ben Youngs are also ending their Tigers careers, as are popular team men like Dan Kelly and James Whitcombe. There is deep familiarity with the final stretch of the Premiership calendar, with several survivors from the 2022 title. While Pollard has not yet won silverware for Leicester, his composure – the Sale aberration notwithstanding – is a big plus. Individuals will grasp for motivation anywhere they can and Cheika is admired for his man management. Van Poortvliet has spoken about his empty feeling at being dropped for the decider against Saracens three years ago. Steward will be burning for further England caps. Collectively, Tigers will feel written off; just the way they like it. And yet, they have the tools to stand firm at Twickenham in key areas: scrum, line-out, breakdown, gain-line and kicking exchanges. Bath are 10-point favourites with the bookies and I am one of many who believe their time has come. By this stage though, Leicester fans almost certainly prefer predictions like that.
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as Pat Lam Wales update issued and four Lions being monitored
Tonight's rugby news as Pat Lam Wales update issued and four Lions being monitored The latest rugby news and headlines from Wales and beyond Pat Lam, Bristol Bears' Director of Rugby (Image:) Here are your rugby evening headlines for Monday, June 9. Gatland replacement target to stay in club rugby Director of rugby Pat Lam will be at Bristol Bears for the "foreseeable" future despite links to the vacant Wales head coach role. The club were beaten in the Gallagher Premiership semi-final last Friday by rivals Bath, but chief operating officer Tom Tainton insists that their head coach remains committed to guiding the Bears to a first final. "I think it's testament to what Pat has achieved here at Bristol Bears that he's in the conversation," Tainton told BBC Radio Bristol. "In terms of that Wales role I can say with absolute confidence that Pat Lam is contracted to Bristol Bears and will stay that way. "We know that there is a lot that we have still got to achieve for the remainder of his contract up until 2028. "I'm certainly happy to say that Pat is going to be at Bristol Bears for the foreseeable." Article continues below The likes of Steve Tandy, Franco Smith and Simon Easterby remain the frontrunners for the Wales job. Four Lions to be assessed ahead of final British and Irish Lions squad members Tadhg Furlong, Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan and Josh van der Flier are all injury doubts for Leinster's United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls this weekend. Furlong, Ringrose and Keenan are nursing calf injuries while Van der Flier's hamstring issue will be assessed before Saturday's game at Croke Park. Tighthead prop Furlong - who has started the last six Lions Tests - hasn't played since 3 May. The Lions have already lost one tighthead, with Scotland prop Zander Fagerson ruled out. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Centre Ringrose has also been out since May, while back-row van der Flier sustained his hamstring problem in the URC quarter-final win over Scarlets. Full-back Keenan also missed last weekend's semi-final win over Glasgow, having been player of the match against the Scarlets. All four are set to join up with the Lions next week. Dickson lands first Premiership final Former scrum-half Karl Dickson will take charge of his first Gallagher Premiership final, nearly a decade after moving into refereeing. The ex-Harlequins player will officiate the clash between Bath and Leicester Tigers at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. The 42-year-old has already taken charge of 24 Test matches, including the last four Six Nations and the 2023 World Cup. Dickson will be assisted on the day by Luke Pearce and Adam Leal, while Ian Tempest is the TMO. European finalists appoint new coach Champions Cup finalists Northampton Saints have confirmed the appointment of Jaco Pienaar as their new scrum coach. The 42-year-old, who has previously coached with the Sharks and in Japan with NEC Green Rockets and Suntory Goliath, joins the Saints ahead of next season. 'When we met Jaco, he spoke very clearly and succinctly about what he believes is important at scrum time, and he had some really interesting ideas about different facets of the game more broadly as well,' said Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson. 'So, he's definitely going to bring more to our coaching set-up than only looking after the scrum, but we felt like his views on the set-piece in particular would really resonate with our group and fit well with our existing coaching philosophy. 'I've known Jaco for several years. I visited the Sharks when I first became Saints' Forwards Coach in 2018, and I was really impressed with him then as a character. 'I felt he had a lot to offer, and since then he's been all over the world and been one of the most driven, development-focused coaches that I've come across. 'Matt Ferguson has had a massive impact for us over the last few years in this space, and it was clear to see in the knockout stages of this season's Investec Champions Cup how well our scrum performed, but change is a natural and positive part of any squad's evolution. Article continues below 'You need some variety in the messaging and the environment to keep people engaged and improving, so we felt it was time for a new direction, and I think Jaco will be a huge asset for the Club.'
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lam to be at Bears for 'foreseeable'
Director of rugby Pat Lam will be at Bristol Bears for the "foreseeable" says club chief operating officer Tom Tainton. Lam has been linked with the Wales head coaching role but is under contract at the Premiership club until 2028. Bristol were beaten 34-20 by Bath on Friday night as they fell one match short of reaching their first Premiership final. "I think it's testament to what Pat has achieved here at Bristol Bears that he's in the conversation," Tainton told BBC Radio Bristol."In terms of that Wales role I can say with absolute confidence that Pat Lam is contracted to Bristol Bears and will stay that way. "We know that there is a lot that we have still got to achieve for the remainder of his contract up until 2028."I'm certainly happy to say that Pat is going to be at Bristol Bears for the foreseeable." Lam has been with the Bears since 2017, taking them to promotion from the Championship during his first season in charge. They topped the Premiership table in 2021 and this season is the third time they have reached the play-offs. However, the club are still to reach a Twickenham final or win any silverware. The 56-year-old said following defeat at the Recreation Ground that he was "excited" by the prospect of next season and that he has lost no motivation to continue pushing for a title with added: "[The] ambition is for us to be at the top table of domestic and European rugby and the ambition is for us to win silverware." 'Intentionally gone with smaller squad' Bristol have just 31 players on their books for 2025-26 - a reduction on this season by seven players - and an additional 19 in their senior back Tom Jordan, winger Max Pepper and second row Pedro Rubiolo are the headline signings but Tainton said the club had made a decision to cut back on numbers."At the moment and where we've been over the past 18 months, we think that it's right that we cut our cloth accordingly, we put our focus and our energy and time into young players," Tainton said. "We've intentionally gone with a smaller squad, we've trusted in our academy and those young players."It's really bore fruit for us this year and we want to be a club that gives opportunities to homegrown players."We believe that we have a squad next season that is more than capable of competing for the top four, as this group has done this year." Tainton pointed to the development of homegrown players such as prop George Kloska and second rows Joe Batley and Joe Owen as evidence their strategy was working and helping the club progress."I'm really proud of the brand of rugby that we play, I'm really proud of some of the results that we've had, particularly away from home this season and who can forget the result against Leicester Tigers in December - and I think we can reflect and say there's been genuine progress for Bristol Bears this season."
