Bears confident more cubs will push through

PAT Lam’s relentlessly bullish policy of raising expectation will inspire Bristol’s homegrown youngsters to fight for first team places, insists senior academy manager Gethin Watts.

- NEALE HARVEY

A Rugby Paper survey reveals that high-flying Bristol are currently bottom of the pile when it comes to fielding homegrown players in this season’s Premiership, with just one in five of their starting XV over the first seven rounds having come through the club’s academy.

Two stints in the Championship and vigorous recruitment aimed at competing domestically and in Europe explains much of that, but Watts believes a bigger picture is in play that will see many of the club’s promising local youngsters emerge over the next 18 months.

Watts, recruited by Lam from Welsh rugby in 2019, told The Rugby Paper: “We’re aware our (homegrown) figures are low but Pat is only in his third year as far as the Premiership is concerned and his three long-term pillars of what we’re trying to do are to compete to win the league and Champions Cup, have more England players and field more homegrown players.