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What Bristol owner Lansdown is saying 11 weeks after title failure
By Liam Heagney
Bristol owner Steve Lansdown has given his verdict on a Bears season that ended in heartbreak with Gallagher Premiership semi-final defeat to ultimate champions Harlequins eleven weeks ago at Ashton Gate. Pat Lam's table-topping side were hotly fancied to go on and be crowned champions of England for the first time when the regulation season ended with Bristol finishing three points clear of Exeter at the top.
That gave them a home semi-final against Harlequins, the fourth-place London club that finished 14 points behind the Bears. However, rather than Bristol moving forward to contest the Twickenham final versus the Chiefs, they were ambushed by Quins 43-36 in an incredible Premiership match that went to extra time.
Bristol had led 28-0 shortly before half-time but they lost their way in the second half and were finished off in extra time, denying club owner Lansdown his title-chasing afternoon in London the following weekend. The Bears will now open the new 2021/22 season when they play host to newly-promoted Saracens on September 17 and Lansdown will be hoping it is a first step forward towards rectifying the disappointment of last season.
"We are on target if you look at what we set out to achieve," insisted Lansdown on Bears TV about his club where the 2017 appointment of Lam as the boss was pivotal in their long-term planning for success. "We were ahead of target and we have allowed ourselves to go back on target. That's the disappointing side of it but if that is the biggest disappointment we are going to have maybe we shouldn't be too upset about it.
"Our target was always to be in the final this year (2021/22) and to look to win it - and that's where we want to be. We want to do well in the Champions Cup as well. We are on a journey and we are moving well along the path to success, having more success. We're an ambitious club. We have got plenty of investment, we have got the right facilities, the right management, the right players and we are all in this together."
With fans now allowed back in stadiums without restriction, Bristol's popularity is evident in the sale of in excess of 10,000 season tickets with 15 days still to go before the start of the new campaign. "To be beyond the 10,000 mark before the season starts is absolutely fantastic. We are getting on a par with football now and we know we are going to be having a decent crowd every week and that is going to be topped up by members and by people buying tickets on the day, travelling support.
"It just creates a marvellous atmosphere at Ashton Gate for every game. It has always been our ambition to average over 20,000 a game and we are well on target to do that. The club is the heart of the community and it is certainly well established in that role now... sport brings people together and that is what we are doing. That is the legacy."
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Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
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