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BRISTOL BEARS Don’t dream it’s over; the Bears have only just begun
SPORT WILL CARPENTER
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Good news Bears Was Toulon just the start of a new era for Bristol’s rugby champions?
In among the jubilant celebrations in Aixen-Provence, Pat Lam delivered a key message: “this is just the start”.
The Bears’ director of rugby had made no secret of his ambition to win the uropean Challenge Cup, alongside sealing ualifi cation for the hampions Cup in 2020/21. And his side didn’t disappoint in the south of rance, pulling off an historic - ictory o er rench giants Toulon at Stade MauriceDavid to earn the club’s maiden uropean title.
Harry Randall’s astonishing try after just 15 seconds – the fastest e er uropean try put the Bears on course, before a Toulon fi ghtback saw the rench side take a narrow lead into the half-time break. But Max Malins’ silky score on the hour and 22 points from the boot of Callum Sheedy saw the Bears eventually earn a comfortable win in front of 1,000 spectators. t the fi nal whistle, at am declared himself “extremely proud,” but insisted this was the ears fi rst stop rather than their fi nal destination.
“As I said to Chris Booy (Bristol Bears chairman) and Steve Lansdown (owner), this will be the fi rst of many.
“This is the one we needed to get going and there is a lot of satisfaction in getting something to represent all the hard work. We
are getting better but we’ve still got a long way to get to where we want to go.
“But I’m just so pleased for everybody, and particularly those who aren’t here – all our players and staff , that can t be here today.
“We talked about inspiring our community through rugby success; that’s our vision, and this is not the end; it’s just a moment of inspiration that everyone can take hold of.
“But when we come back, we’re not satisfi ed with that, we e ust got to keep going, keep pushing each other’s standards, keep trying to be better.
“And I said right from the day we arrived here, if every person gets better, staff or players, the team will get better, the club will get better, a whole community will love it and be inspired.”
Winning major silverware is a special moment for any player involved, but for Joe Joyce – a graduate of the club’s Academy, and a proud Bristolian – it meant that little bit more. I am fi ghting tears away, he said at full time. “There are no Bristol fans here today, but let me tell you we are so proud to represent this city. eryone in Bristol, we felt your support. We read the cards, we read the emails, we read everything, all the good luck wishes which came from around the world. We are all so proud to represent this club.
“We have spoken all season about trusting our processes, trusting our systems. Our leaders on the fi eld today were outstanding; they stay so calm, and that just comes through to all the other lads. I don’t think I have ever been this happy.”
The Bears have little time to refl ect on their uropean triumph, with the 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership season set to get under way again on 22 November. Pat Lam’s men face an instant return to the Ricoh Arena, where they suff ered a hea y defeat in the end-of-season play-off s in October, before welcoming Worcester Warriors to Ashton Gate in round two.
The season will start, as it fi nished, behind closed doors, but the Bears will be hoping to bring more smiles to the faces of the club’s loyal supporters during another tough lockdown period.
“Inspiring the community through rugby success” is the club’s vision, as laid out by Pat Lam on his arrival in 2017. They are doing just that, but as the boss pointed out on a fresh autumn evening in Aix-en-Provence, this is just the beginning. ■
Will Carpenter is the Bristol Bears club journalist; www.bristolbearsrugby.com
