'A lot of notes to go over': AJ MacGinty's first Bristol interview

New Bristol signing AJ MacGinty has given his first interview as a Bears player, explaining why he joined the Gallagher Premiership club after six successful seasons at Sale. The 32-year-old Dubliner began pre-season training last week following a summer of Test rugby that ended for him with the USA losing their two-legged World Cup qualifier to Chile in Colorado.

Having since been on holiday, MacGinty has now gone to work at his new club and is finishing his second week of pre-season on the training ground in Bristol after Pat Lam left him out of the 36-strong Bears squad that has gone to France to play Brive in a Friday night friendly.

A decade ago, MacGinty spent his summer working in a New York bar with the dream of making it in professional rugby something that wasn’t on his radar at the time. He eventually broke through when helping Connacht to win the 2015/16 PRO12 title under Lam and is now enjoying the bedding-in process so far at Bristol.

In his first interview as a Bears player, he explained to the club’s website why he was tempted into signing for Lam last November at a time when there was still an opportunity to sign an extension at Sale. “Having played against Bristol over the years, the atmosphere in the stadium, looking around the place here, the facilities are incredible and there was a lot that drew me down. I’m just really happy to be here and get going,” he said.

“Pat gave me my first opportunity in professional rugby and that was going down to Connacht and then after that, I went and played in Sale. My first year of professional rugby was under him [Lam] and I learned a lot through him, John Muldoon, who was the captain of Connacht then, and Conor McPhillips, was also working on the staff then too.

“It helps to know them coming into the environment, knowing what they are about and how they see the game. But obviously, over the last seven years, rugby has evolved and changed and I’m excited to see how they have adapted or how they have changed their approach and how there is more that I can learn and appreciate about the game.

“As I learned last week about the detail and staying on top of things, I have got a lot of notes to go over. For me coming in there is stuff that I have to learn to get on the same page as the rest of the group and there are also other new signings that are here and bedding themselves in. Excited to get on the journey and get going.

“It has been good. I am getting to know a lot of the new faces and information rugby-wise. Really excited to be here. It’s challenging, there have been some tough sessions and the body was a bit sore last weekend, but overall I have enjoyed it.”