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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2024 18:48:15 GMT
Second half Max Malins brace earns bonus point win for Bristol Bears at Newcastle Falcons..By John Evely, Sports Writer
Bristol Bears beat Newcastle Falcons 24-3 at Kingston Park in Round One of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership
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Bristol Bears' Gabriel Ibitoye is tackled by Newcastle Falcons' Thomas Gordon
Bristol kicked off their Gallagher Premiership season with a low-profile 24-3 win away at a much-improved Newcastle side on Friday night. Away from the glamour tie at Recreation Ground, where Bath hosted Northampton in a repeat of last year’s Premiership final, under grey overcast skies in the north-east, Newcastle and Bristol engaged in a scrum-ridden arm wrestle which opened up in the second half. Newcastle, after a full summer of pre-season toughening up under director of rugby Steve Diamond, were a much sterner test than the side that capitulated to a record 85-14 defeat at Ashton Gate five months ago but still fell to their 22nd league defeat on the bounce. A brace from Max Malins and tries from James Williams and Siva Naulago, with AJ MacGinty adding two conversions, delivered Bristol’s bonus point win at Kingston Park. Newcastle registered just three points from the boot of fly-half Brett Connon. In contrast to the hosts – who handed debuts to summer signings Connor Doherty and Sammy Arnold in the centres and Tom Gordon at openside, with new prop Luan de Bruin coming off the bench and academy scrum-half Joe Davis making his debut from the replacements – Bristol boss Pat Lam named an entire matchday 23 who were at the club last season. Bristol opened the scoring inside five minutes after lock James Dun was put through a gap in the midfield as the away side attacked off a lineout and the forward produced a sumptuous back-of-the-hand offload to centre Williams who had the pace to run in. Fly-half MacGinty missed a relatively routine shot at goal. After the bright start, Newcastle pinned the Bears deep into their half for the majority of the next 35 minutes, but turned down multiple chances to go for goal in favour of kicking to the corner and were unable to convert their superior possession and territory into points. Ellis Genge ended one attack with a thunderous tackle on Callum Chick, dislodging the ball from the Falcons captain. With the final play of the first half, Newcastle won a scrum penalty which Connon converted to make it a two-point game at the break. Bristol struck quickly again after the interval. Harry Randall sniped from the base of the ruck to get close to the try line and Jake Heenan kept the momentum of the move alive with a quick pass out to Benhard Janse van Rensburg. He smoothly whipped the ball to Naulago who finished the flowing move with a one-handed diving finish in the corner and MacGinty converted. The Falcons’ resolve was running out and patient play from Bristol saw Malins take a pass at full speed to burst over the line and put the result beyond doubt. The all-important bonus point was delivered by Malins, who took a clever cross-field kick from MacGinty over his shoulder to dot the ball down. Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Richard Palframan, 4 John Hawkins, 5 Kiran McDonald, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 7 Tom Gordon, 8 Callum Chick (captain). Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Luan de Bruin, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 Freddie Lockwood, 20 Adam Scott, 21 Joe Davis, 22 Louis Brown, 23 Ben Redshaw. Bristol Bears: 15 Max Malins 14 Siva Naulago, 13, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Jimmy Williams, 11, Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Harry Randall, 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Harry Thacker, 3 Max Lahiff, 4 James Dun, 5 Joe Batley, 6 Steven Luatua, 7 Jake Heenan, 8 Fitz Harding (cap) Replacements: Gabriel Oghre, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 George Kloska, 19 Josh Caulfield, 20 Benjamin Grondona, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Joe Jenkins, 23 Rich Lane. Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe Assistant Referees: Hamish Smales and John Meredith TMO: Dean Richards Attendance : 5,116
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2024 18:51:25 GMT
'He drives others to be at their best' - Ellis Genge commits his long-term future to Bristol Bears..By John Evely, Sports Writer
England international loosehead prop Ellis Genge has signed a contract extension with his home town club
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Ellis Genge of Bristol breaks the tackle of Kiran McDonaldEngland international forward star Ellis Genge has committed his future to his hometown club Bristol Bears, signing a new long-term contract. Genge is a product of the Bristol Academy but transformed from a promising bruiser into a world-class superstar of the game at Leicester Tigers who captained to the Gallagher Premiership title in 2021/22 before returning to the West Country. On the international stage, Genge has made 62 appearances for his country, captaining England on two occasions and serving as a long-term vice-captain. The 29-year-old loosehead prop has made 45 appearances for his boyhood club across two stints, having joined the club’s Academy as a 15-year-old. Bears director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: “Ellis has already achieved a lot of great things in his career, but what excites me most about Ellis committing long term to the Bears is his hunger and desire to be even better in every part of his game on and off the field. “He is a passionate and proud Bristolian, which comes through massively in his leadership skills as he drives others to be at their best for the team and our community. “We are all really pleased Ellis is staying as he is a massive part of our team, and I look forward to seeing the big things he is going to achieve for both club and country moving forward.” Genge added: “This club and city mean so much to me, so I’m proud to be committing my long-term future here. “I’ve said before that I’m as passionate about playing for Bristol as I am about playing for England, so it was an easy decision to stay. I’ve loved being back down here, close to my family in a city I’ve always called home, and I’m really excited about what this group of players can achieve over the next few years.”
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Post by bluetornados on Oct 9, 2024 21:22:58 GMT
Christian Wade hat-trick delivers dramatic victory for Gloucester in 85-point thriller with Bristol Bears..By John Evely, Sports Writer
Gloucester Rugby beat Bristol Bears 44-41 at Ashton Gate in Round Two of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership
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Christian Wade of Gloucester breaks clear of James Dun to scoreChristian Wade emerged from the carnage of Ashton Gate as the Gallagher Premiership's leading hat-trick scorer in the history of the competition after he touched down three time in Gloucester Rugby's 44-41 victory over Bristol Bears on Friday night. The Cherry and Whites looked home and dry when they led by 19 points with only 15 minutes left, but three quickfire Bristol tries tied things up before full-back George Barton held his nerve to kick a 78th-minute penalty. Wade almost went from hero to villain when he was yellow-carded late in the action for a high tackle, but Gloucester withstood a final Bristol flourish to triumph. Wade, back in the Premiership after six years away in the NFL and then a spell with French club Racing 92, showcased his finishing prowess in all its glory having largely been a passenger in his competitive debut for Gloucester in last weekend's defeat to Saracens. But Gloucester's much-talked-about transformation into a new swashbuckling attacking side was on full display in a contest that had it all. Wade's treble took him to 85 Premiership career tries, putting him equal fourth with Danny Care on the all-time list, and ultimately he was key to Gloucester’s success as the visitors secured the Rifles Cup by punishing and penalising mistakes by the hosts who went down to 13-men in the first half. Lock Freddie Thomas and fly-half Gareth Anscombe also crossed for Gloucester, while Barton converted all five tries and booted three penalties for a 19-point haul. Bristol ended with two bonus points – Max Malins (2), Siva Naulago, Harry Randall, Gabriel Ibitoye and Rich Lane scored tries – and AJ MacGinty kicked 11 points, but Gloucester were not to be denied. Gloucester had lost on their last six Premiership visits to Ashton Gate and it looked like it was going to go the same way early on as they fell behind after just 66 seconds. Scrum-half Randall broke from a lineout midway in the Gloucester half, and Ibitoye powered his way over for an opening try than MacGinty converted. The lead was short-lived, though, with Gloucester drawing level just five minutes later after clever work from Wales international Max Llewellyn, who cut inside Naulago and then offloaded to give his fellow wing Wade a half-chance that he took with aplomb, sparking down the left touchline to score. Barton converted before Gloucester cut open Bristol’s defence through a thrilling handling move that ended with Thomas charging over and Barton adding the extras. i2-prod.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/article9588436.ece/ALTERNATES/s510b/0_GettyImages-2175005345.jpgSiva Naulago of Bristol Bears.Bristol were in self-destruct mode as Naulago and Randall collected yellow cards just two minutes apart, the first for a high tackle the second for not retreating before tackling after a quick tap from Wlliams, and Gloucester punished them immediately when skipper Tomos Williams kicked cleverly into space and his half-back partner Anscombe caught a kind bounce to score. Barton’s third conversion took Gloucester past 20 points in front of England head coach Steve Borthwick and his Wales counterpart Warren Gatland, with Bristol having been blitzed by three tries in 16 minutes. A MacGinty penalty provided some calm amid the chaos for Bristol, but it did not last as Gloucester claimed a bonus-point try six minutes before the interval. The home side mounted a promising attack, but Malins saw his pass intercepted by Wade with a five man overlap on, and the winger sprinted 80 metres to claim try number four – Barton converted – before an unmarked Naulago crossed out wide. But Bristol still had a mountain to climb, trailing 28-15 at the break following an error-strewn opening half. A Barton penalty consolidated Gloucester’s advantage, yet Bristol responded impressively, setting up camp inside Gloucester’s 22 before Randall sniped his way over and MacGinty converted. Bristol continued to concede penalties and Barton stepped up to add another three-pointer midway through the third quarter. Wade then punished them again, regathering a stunning end-over-end kick down the left touchline and making the most of a terrible mix up in the home defence, with Joe Batley and Max Malins getting in each other's way to leave the bouncing ball on a late for Wade to gather and score, with Barton’s conversion opening up a 19-point gap. Bristol refused to go away, though, and Gloucester knew they could not afford to switch off when Malins crossed for his team’s fourth try, converted by MacGinty, 14 minutes from time. Malins was at it again just four minutes later, pouncing after more sustained pressure. MacGinty’s conversion made it a five-point game, then Wade was sin-binned for a high hit on Benhard Janse van Rensburg as the drama intensified. And Wade had barely left the field before Lane pounced to haul Bristol level, but MacGinty’s touchline conversion attempt glanced off the post, then Barton stepped up to kick the match-winner. Bristol Bears: 15. Max Malins, 14. Siva Naulago, 13. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12. James Williams, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Harry Randall, 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. George Kloska, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Batley, 6. Steven Luatua, 7. Jake Heenan, 8. Fitz Harding (c). Replacements: 16. Will Capon, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. Max Lahiff, 19. Josh Caulfield, 20. Benjamin Grondona, 21. Kieran Marmion, 22. Joe Jenkins, 23. Rich Lane. Gloucester Rugby: 15. George Barton, 14. Christian Wade, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Seb Atkinson, 11. Max Llewellyn, 10. Gareth Anscombe, 9. Tomos Williams (c), 1. Mayco Vivas, 2. Jack Singleton, 3. Kirill Gotovtsev, 4. Freddie Thomas, 5. Matias Alemanno, 6. Jack Clement, 7.Harry Taylor, 8. Zach Mercer Replacements: 16. Seb Blake, 17. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18. Afo Fasogbon, 19. Freddie Clarke, 20. Ruan Ackermann, 21. Albert Tuisue, 22. Caolan Englefield, 23. Charlie Atkinson Referee : Tom Foley
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Post by bluetornados on Oct 9, 2024 21:39:06 GMT
Bristol Bears bottle the emotion to produce winning display at Bath Rugby..By John Evely, Sports Writer
Bristol Bears beat Bath Rugby 36-26 at the Recreation Ground on Saturday in Round Three of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership
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Fitz Harding, the Bristol Bears captain celebrates their victory.Bristol Bears moved top of the Gallagher Premiership with an impressive 36-26 derby win over highly fancied neighbours Bath Rugby at the Recreation Ground on Saturday. A fired-up Bears side turned up to their neighbours with greater intensity and accuracy to secure a bonus point win, with debutant Santiago Grondona touching down a brace of tries having returned from international duty with Argentina in the Rugby Championship earlier in the week. The flanker, who signed for the club more than a year ago but suffered an ACL injury on the eve of the World Cup, scored two tries and there were also touchdowns for full-back Max Malins, centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and hooker Gabriel Oghre, with fly-half AJ MacGinty kicking four conversions and a penalty for 11 points. Bath, conquerors of Northampton and Leicester in their first two games, trailed 26-7 at half-time having been a distant second best, just a 55m solo wonder-try from Sam Harris to show for their efforts .Centres Will Butt and Ollie Lawrence and lock Ross Molony crossed the whitewash in the second half as the hosts’ superior bench and need to restore some pride sparked a comeback, led by fly-half Finn Russell who added three conversions for six points. But Bristol were always in the driving seat and claimed an impressive win on the road. Bristol, fresh from a high-scoring defeat against Gloucester last time out, took just 88 seconds to open their account. Winger Gabriel Ibitoye was the creator, breaking free in midfield and, despite Bath’s defence halting his progress, he managed to find centre James Williams, who sent Malins over for a try that MacGinty converted. Bath thought they had conjured an equalising try seven minutes later but flanker Ted Hill was judged not to have grounded the ball behind Bristol’s lines thanks to a last-ditch tackle from Williams and MacGinty, with the centre’s leg dislodging the ball. i2-prod.somersetlive.co.uk/sport/article9608275.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_GettyImages-2176937293.jpgSantiago Grondona of Bristol Bears breaks clear of Bath's Beno Obano to scoreThe home side, though, only had to wait another three minutes before drawing level and it was a spectacular solo effort from Harris, who caught a loose Bristol kick inside his own half., broke a poor tackle from Ibitoye and then outstripped chasing defenders to scorch in under the posts. Russell added the conversion, yet Bath fell behind for a second time during an eventful opening quarter when Bristol made ground in midfield and England prop Ellis Genge delivered a scoring pass to Grondona. MacGinty again added the extras and with Bristol growing in confidence they notched a third try when Janse van Rensburg finished off following a quickly-taken penalty by Oghre. Bristol went in pursuit of a bonus-point try before the interval and it arrived following sustained pressure inside Bath’s 22 that ended with Grondona pouncing for his second touchdown and MacGinty converting. Bath had a chance to cut the deficit but Bristol turned possession over and took a healthy 19-point lead with them into the interval. MacGinty kicked a penalty early in the second-half, before Bath had a second try disallowed when a knock-on in approach play by Thomas du Toit - back from South Africa - denied flanker Guy Pepper a score after Grondona had been yellow-carded following a run of penalties against the hosts as they defended their try line for their lives.. The home side continued to dominate territory and they breached Bristol’s defence when Butt crossed in the corner and Russell converted, making it 29-14 after 56 minutes. The fightback was well and truly underway just two minutes later when a piece of Russell magic carved open Bristol’s defence, selling a dummy and the offloading for replacement Molony to have an easy finish, with Russell’s conversion leaving Bath just eight points behind. But Bath were then their own worst enemies as flanker Sam Underhill was yellow-carded for diving on a ruck following a break from MacGinty just five minutes after going on as a substitute and Bristol struck from a driven line out as Oghre crossed at the bottom of the maul and MacGinty converted. Lawrence’s try three minutes from the end, dancing down the right touchline, gave Bath a bonus point but it proved a frustrating afternoon for Johann van Graan’s team who gave themselves too big a job to do in the second half. Bath Rugby:15 Sam Harris, 14 Tom de Glanville, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Will Butt, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 Finn Russell, , 9 Ben Spencer (capt); 1 Beno Obano, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Miles Reid. Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Cameron Redpath, 23 Jaco Coetzee. Bristol Bears : 15. Max Malins, 14. Gabriel Ibitoye, 13. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12. James Williams, 11. Rich Lane, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Harry Randall; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Batley, 6. Steven Luatua, 7. Santiago Grondona (debut), 8. Fitz Harding (c). Replacements : 16. Will Capon, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. George Kloska, 19. Joe Owen, 20. Benjamin Grondona, 21. Kieran Marmion, 22. Joe Jenkins, 23. Jack Bates. 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AJ MacGinty of Bristol Bears takes on Finn Russell
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Bristol Bears' Max Malins scores his side's first try.
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The tunnel onto the pitch at the Recreation Ground, the home of Bath Rugby
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Post by bluetornados on Oct 9, 2024 21:43:16 GMT
Bristol Bears bring in international winger as injury cover..By John Evely, Sports Writer
Pat Lam has moved quickly to beef up his squad following a series of injuriesi2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/article9614710.ece/ALTERNATES/s1176b/0_GettyImages-1236557334.jpgWinger Toby Fricker has re-joined Bristol Bears with immediate effect as short-term injury cover the club have confirmed. Fricker, 29, returns to Ashton Gate having made 32 appearances for the club before departing at the end of the 2022/23 season, scoring 12 tries. Welshman Fricker has been playing in the MLR for the New England Free Jacks since leaving Bristol and was recently capped by the USA. The versatile back three player has signed for the Bears on a three-month deal following injuries to Noah Heward and Siva Naulago. Heward is not expected to return from a hamstring injury until the New Year while Naulago will be sidelined for at least a couple of months following surgery on the fractured cheekbone injury he suffered in the 44-41 defeat to Gloucester in Round Two of the Gallagher Premiership. Bristol director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: “With long-term injuries in our back three to Siva and Noah, it’s great to be able to bring in a player of Toby’s quality and experience on a three-month deal. “Toby knows our game and culture well having spent four seasons here and he’ll provide strong cover across the back three during this period.” Lam is also without the versatile Fijian international Kalaveti Ravouvou who is currently out following surgery on a shoulder injury he suffered in pre-season. That leaves the Bears with just Max Malins, Rich Lane, Gabriel Ibitoye, Jack Bates and Deago Bailey as the club's fit and available senior options in the three-quarters.
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Post by bluetornados on Oct 12, 2024 20:56:06 GMT
Gabriel Ibitoye stars as ruthless Bristol Bears comeback to beat winless Exeter Chiefs..By John Evely, Sports Writer
Bristol Bears beat Exeter Chiefs 40-35 at Sandy Park on Saturday in Round Four of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership
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Gabriel Oghre of Bristol Bears celebrates after scoring his side's third try Bristol Bears went top of the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday after an eight-minute hat-trick by winger Gabriel Ibitoye saw the visitors produce a stunning comeback to beat Exeter Chiefs 40-35 at Sandy Park and extend their unbeaten away record to eight games on the bounce, stretching all the way back to last November. The league's best travelling side looked dead and buried as Chiefs wingers Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Paul Brown-Bampoe scored two tries apiece to put second-from-bottom Exeter 32-12 up with 18 minutes remaining and on the verge of their first win of the season. But a hugely costly yellow card for replacement hooker Dan Frost four minutes later, for stopping a tap penalty being taken quickly, saw Bristol score 28 points while he was off the pitch, running in four converted tries, with Ibitoye getting three of them. The first-half story was about taking your chances, with the clinical Bears making two entries into Exeter’s 22 and coming away with touchdowns each time, whereas the Chiefs squandered several opportunities. Josh Hodge kicked Exeter into an early lead from a penalty, but Bristol got the first try of the game against the run of play when a blindside attack saw lock Joe Batley burst down the tramlines before putting scrum-half Kieran Marmion racing away for a try on a race start for the Irishman. Former Chiefs lock Josh Caulfield was sin-binned four minutes later for a professional foul after a fine break by Olly Woodburn and Exeter did not take long to capitalise on their one-man advantage. A solid five-metre scrum on the right saw the ball moved swiftly to the left and a fine miss-pass by Harvey Skinner put winger Brown-Bampoe in for his first Premiership try as used his pace and power to get beyond Rich Lane. England winger Feyi-Waboso came close to getting another soon after but knocked on Harvey Skinner’s cross-field kick after an aerial contest but instead it was the Bears who scored again from their second incursion into Exeter’s 22. After a stunning series of offload passes to move down the field, they pounded away on the left and created an overlap on the right where Benhard Janse van Rensburg put lock Batley over in the corner, with AJ MacGinty adding a superb touchline conversion. With a minute to go to the break, though, the lead changed hands yet again, when Feyi-Waboso picked up the ball at a ruck with very little on and beat Jake Woolmore before handing off Janse van Rensburg and raced away in typical fashion to score beneath the posts, with Hodge’s simple conversion giving the Chiefs a 15-12 interval lead. Hodge stretched the lead to six points and a blindside attack, capitalised thanks to the quick hands of new lock signing Franco Molina, saw Brown-Bampoe provide another excellent finish, with Hodge adding the extras for a 25-12 advantage. Feyi-Waboso then grabbed his second from a 45-metre interception from a MacGinty pass and with Hodge again converting, Chiefs were almost out of sight at 32-12. But Frost crazily got himself sin-binned and the Bears capitalised in typical fashion, with two tries in two minutes from Gabriel Oghre and Ibitoye, with the latter then adding another swiftly after and MacGinty converting all three for a 33-32 scoreline. Hodge looked like he might have saved Chiefs’ blushes with a 75th-minute penalty to poke the Devon side back in front again, but more poor defensive work from Exeter saw Ibitoye race clear for his hat-trick score to send Bristol to the top of the table. i2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/rugby/article9627960.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_GettyImages-2178110039.jpgGabriel Ibitoye of Bristol Bears scores his side's fourth try.
Exeter Chiefs: 15. Josh Hodge, 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13. Olly Woodburn, 12. Joe Hawkins, 11. Paul Brown-Bampoe, 10. Harvey Skinner, 9. Sam Maunder; 1. Scott Sio, 2. Jack Yeandle (c), 3. Marcus Street, 4. Rusi Tuima, 5. Franco Molina, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Richard Capstick, 8. Ross Vintcent Replacements: 16. Dan Frost, 17. Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18. Josh Iosefa-Scott, 19. Jack Dunne, 20. Ethan Roots, 21. Tom Cairns, 22. Ben Hammersley, 23. Greg Fisilau Bristol Bears: 15. Rich Lane, 14. Jack Bates, 13. Joe Jenkins, 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Jake Woolmore, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. Josh Caulfield, 5. Joe Batley, 6. Steven Luatua, 7. Santiago Grondona, 8. Fitz Harding (c) Replacements: 16. Will Capon, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. George Kloska, 19. James Dun, 20. Benjamin Grondona, 21. Harry Randall, 22. Sam Worsley, 23. Benjamin Elizalde Referee: Matthew Carley Assistant Referees : Craig Maxwell-Keys and Gareth Holsgrove TMO: David Rose
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Post by bluetornados on Nov 11, 2024 0:30:31 GMT
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Post by bluetornados on Nov 19, 2024 22:43:50 GMT
‘Let’s give this guy a chance’ - Pat Lam explains why Bristol Bears have signed backrow triallist..By John Evely, Sports Writer
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Bristol Bears' Director of Rugby Pat LamBristol Bears have signed former BUCs backrow star Ed Timpson on trial until the New Year after the forward caught the eye of the club’s scouting team playing Down Under. Timpson made his debut for the Bears in Saturday’s 78-19 defeat to Bath Rugby in the Premiership Rugby Cup but is set to be given a chance to prolong his stay at the club. After graduating from the University of Nottingham, Timpson has been playing in Australia for Northern Suburbs in the Shute Shield and has quickly established himself as one of the standout players in the league. Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam has made no secret of the fact the Bears have had to widen their net in terms of recruitment having been left with the smallest academy catchment area in the country, sending scouts out to the recent U20s World Championship in South Africa which resulted in the club landing Argentina full-back Benjamin Elizalde having been blocked from speaking to their first choice target Ben Redshaw about a move by league rules. Discussing the recruitment process around Timpson who was first identified playing in the university leagues, Lam said: “We saw Ed when we were looking at the BUCs league and he stood out in the BUCs league. Then when we were looking for a replacement we saw he was standing out in the Shute Shield, we have got a couple of players down in Australia playing in that competition so we have our eyes on that and he was a stand-out. “We looked at his footage and I saw the way he was throwing himself about and I said ‘Let’s give this guy a chance’ so we brought him in. “He will get some game time and we will take a good look at him. He is a backrower who certainly fits into the way we play. What really impressed me is there are some big island boys over there playing in the Shute Shield and he was cutting them to pieces so that is a good standard. “He have signed him for a couple of months, we have got a couple of injuries across the back five, Kofi Cripps injured his ankle playing for Dings and is out for about eight weeks, so it was timely Ed has come in."
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Post by bluetornados on Nov 19, 2024 22:47:31 GMT
Bristol Bears finalise deal to add international lock to bolster their pack..By John Evely, Sports Writer
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Pedro Rubiolo of Argentina in action during the Autumn Nations Series 2024 against Italy.Bristol Bears have signed Argentina international lock Pedro Rubiolo on a three-year deal ahead of the 2025/26 season according to the latest reports. Rubiolo is still just 21-years-old but is a rising star on the international stage having already earned 18-caps for his country, with his 19th set to come this weekend when the Pumas take on Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. An Argentina side that included Bristol backrower Santi Grondona, secured an emphatic 50-18 victory over Italy in Round One of the Autumn Nations Series last weekend, with Rubiolo playing the full 80 minutes in a display of his impressive engine. Despite his young age, the 6ft 3in forward who can play both lock and in the backrow, has already been on the Test stage for two years after making his senior Argentina debut away against world champions South Africa in September 2022. Rubiolo currently plays his club rugby for Bristol’s Premiership rivals Newcastle Falcons having joined the club in January 2023 on a two-and-half-year deal which will expire in the summer. Despite the dramatic development of Joe Batley, James Dun and Josh Caulfield in the Bears engine room over the last year, Bristol have been under-resourced at lock ever since the disappearance of Samoan star Chris Vui into a Kafkaesque hole 14 months ago, with Rubiolo seemingly the reaction to address the issue. According to The Telegraph, Lam and head of recruitment Gethin Watts, are reported to have beaten Gloucester and French Top 14 side Perpignan to the signature of Rubiolo in a real coup for the club with an ever-increasing Argentine influence at the Bears with Benjamin Grondona and his brother Santi, and full-back Benjamin Elizalde already on the books. With Caulfield currently side-lined with a pectoral injury that will keep him out until the New Year, Bristol are understood to still be looking for a more immediate second-row recruit.
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Post by bluetornados on Nov 19, 2024 22:51:40 GMT
Pat Lam explains why Bristol Bears have ended their fly-half search with Tom Jordan....By John Evely, Sports Writeri2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/rugby/article9724925.ece/ALTERNATES/s1176b/0_GettyImages-2185125696.jpgPat Lam labelled Bristol Bears' new fly-half signing Tom Jordan as 'one of the most exciting talents in European rugby' after the Premiership club confirmed the signing of the versatile Scottish international from Glasgow Warriors ahead of the 2025/26 season. Jordan is reported to have signed a three-year contract at with the Bears worth £300,000 a season. The New Zealand-born playmaker, who can operate at fly-half, centre and full-back, has won three caps for Scotland and led Glasgow to the 2023-24 United Rugby Championship title. The 26-year-old earned his first international start for Gregor Townsend’s Scotland against World Champions South Africa last weekend, delivering a standout display from full back, having made his debut off the bench a week earlier against Fiji. This weekend he was named player of the month in the win over Portugal. Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said: “Tom is one of the most exciting talents in European rugby, so it’s hugely exciting to be able to bring him to the Bears from next season. “Having coached in the Pro12 now URC, I keep an eye on the competition, and I saw the impact Tom was having at Glasgow, especially in the playoffs. They defeated the defending champions Munster away in the semi-final and then won the final away to the Bulls in the cauldron of Pretoria. Tom was impressive playing at 10 in these big games after featuring at inside centre as well during the season. “I met Tom prior to his international debut, and it just confirmed to me that his ambition, versatility and skillset make him the perfect fit for our ‘Bears Way’ of rugby. “Tom’s ability to play at the very highest level has since been showcased by his outstanding performances at full-back for Scotland in the Autumn Nations Series to date.” i2-prod.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/rugby/article9715446.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_GettyImages-2142712685.jpgTom Jordan of Glasgow Warriors shouts instructions in the Champions Cup match against Harlequins.Jordan made his professional debut for Glasgow against Benetton in September 2022 and was the only player to feature in every game of Warriors’ URC-winning 2023/24 campaign, making his 50th appearance in the final. Standing at 6ft1 and weighing 96kg, Jordan has made 55 appearances for Glasgow, scoring 104 points and nine tries. Jordan added: “I’m really excited to be joining Bristol Bears for the next chapter of my career. “Having spoken to Pat about the club’s ambitions, vision and brand of rugby, as well as the world class training facilities at the High Performance Centre, I believe Bristol Bears is an excellent environment for the next stage of my development. “I’ve had an incredible few seasons with Glasgow Warriors and I’m really grateful to the club for the opportunities they have given me. I’m completely committed and focused on finishing the season on a high and giving my all for the club.”
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