Bears' writing their own ‘living history' under visionary Pat

PAT LAM has used his love of history to haul Bristol from the Championship to the top of the Premiership and a seat at the table of European rugby’s elite.

- PAUL REES

Lam has been in charge of the Bears since 2017 after joining from Connacht and they have become a club transformed.

Yesterday they hosted a Premiership semi-final for the first time when they welcomed Harlequins, reward for sitting on top of the Premiership from the sixth round.

“I love history and did it at school,” said Lam, below. “It tells you where you have come from and the learnings you can take from it. Vision gives you the direction to take and allows you to confront obstacles you have not come up against before. When I arrived here, I was reminded that Bristol’s history had not been great this century and given where we came from, it has been a good season. We are living history.”

Bristol are backed by the Premiership’s wealthiest owner, Steve Lansdown, and they have recruited leading players in Charles Piutau, Semi Radradra, John Afoa and Kyle Sinckler, but Lam pointed out that the backbone of their side this season had largely been less celebrated members of his squad.