For Premiership Newcomers Bristol Rugby, The Relegation Battle Already Started Three Weeks Ago

With an opening record of played 3, lost 3, Bristol Rugby look set to suffer in their promotion season, just as London Welsh did in ‘14-’15. Lee Calvert goes in search of some reasons for the Ashton Gate faithful to remain optimistic.

In the 2014-15 season, newly promoted London Welsh set a litany of new records for utter awfulness. It was testament to the loyalty of their supporters that they kept turning up, right to the end of a season which saw their team win zero games, score only 223 points and concede a whopping 1021. All they had to show for a full season was a single, solitary try bonus point, standing alone in the points total column like a spotty, sweaty lad leaning on the wall at a school dance while everyone else is necking on the dancefloor.

Bristol have started the latest Aviva Premiership season with all the rookie aplomb of that London Welsh season. Played three, lost three; points for 51, points against 123. Last weekend saw them take the mother of all hidings as they lost 70-22 to Wasps and their sexy, sexy backline. On the plus side, Bristol have at least managed to glean one bonus point already – it took London Welsh until after Christmas in their horror season to register in that column.

Prior to this season Bristol have been getting very close to promotion for some time. In fact losing in the Championship promotion play-off final in a heartbreaking manner started to become become something of their specialty. While this was not a great deal of fun for their fans, a squad of decent quality was being built over this time by their very experienced coach, Andy Robinson, backed by the deep pockets of owner Stephen Langton.

This squad now contains the likes of Soane Tonga'uiha, Gavin Henson, Tusi Pisi, Jack Lam, Ian Evans, David Lemi, Jordan Crane and Tom Varndell – all either solid players or top drawer, experienced operatives admittedly now in the gloaming of their careers but with something still to offer.  And let’s face it, Gavin Henson is probably immortal, or at least he believes he is. Add to this their decent following and a great stadium and there is the basis for a solid post-promotion season.

Compare this to London Welsh, who were promoted without a viable stadium as their home matches are played in what is essentially a public park, thus they had to wait until their plan to decamp to Oxford, and thus their promotion, was approved – and initially wasn’t, so they took it to court.  When the promotion go ahead was finally given most league transfer business had already been concluded, leaving Welsh to sign some thirty-odd players – an entirely new squad – from the leftovers. The marquee signing was All Black Piri Weepu, who was a perfect representation of their troubles. He spent the season flitting uselessly between scrum-half and out-half and, from the look of him as the season wore on, between several local takeaways.

Bristol would’ve started this season thinking that all they needed to do was pick up results home and away against Newcastle Falcons and Worcester Warriors, as four wins would likely see them safe.  But Newcastle have put a spanner in the works by unexpectedly winning their opening game vs Sale, meaning they already have five points in the bag. This, combined with Bristol’s hammering vs Wasps makes for grim reading for Bristol’s fans. They now face two likely losses as Exeter and Saracens roll into town, before a visit to Newcastle on October 8 for a fixture that will set the tone for their season.  Win and they can look to build; lose and it will feel like they are losing their footing in quicksand.

London Welsh showed that there is a truly embarrassing way to be relegated. While Bristol are simply too good to disgrace themselves in such a manner, in the end it doesn’t really matter how you get relegated: the outcome is still the same. It is difficult to see how Bristol escape this fate over the next six months.