Ep82 - Bears fall to big defeat at Wasps and a look ahead to the Bath game

In this week's show we try and pick the bones out of the 44-8 defeat away at Wasps in round two of this season's Gallagher Premiership. Another lacklustre performance where for the second week running we've failed to score a single point in the second half of the game.

Have we become too predictable? Do we have a plan B to cope with a defensive squeeze on our running game? We discuss selections, tactics and indivudal performances. 

We look ahead to the next game at home to Bath on Friday night with our friend from BathBytes. Two west country teams both looking for a win to kick start our season. Has this now become a 'must win' match for Bristol Bears?

There's also a special interview with Sam Burrows from Bristol Beer Factory - the new ale suppliers at Ashton Gate. Hear how the deal came about, the beers you can get inside the stadium and a top tip to avoid the half-time queues.

All this and more on the show with Tony, Lee, Miles and Pete.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_05 0:00

Hi, I'm Branna Driscoll and you are listening to Bears Beyond the Gate. Enjoy!

SPEAKER_04 0:11

Hello and welcome to Bears Beyond the Gate, a Bristol Bears podcast made by fans for fans with four season card holders at Ashton Gate, who love the club, the game and all things bears. After the disappointment of the week one defeat to Saracens, we thought things could only get better in round two. We were wrong. They got worse. We'll dissect the 44-8 defeat away at Wasps and ask where do we go from here? We also look ahead to the big West Country Derby on Friday with our friend from Bath Bites. A game we really must win to get the season up and running. We also talk AOL with Bristol Beer Factory. All this and more in this week's show, I'm Tony and I'm joined by Lee, Miles, and Pete for a cheeky beer and some rugby banter. Well, I'm delighted to say we've uh we we've had a change of studio this week um and we are at Miles's stately home. So Miles, um thank you very much. I believe you you gave the nanny the uh the day off, which um I think she gets her birthday off in Christmas. So um, in fact, is it true that when you went to the nanny agency you did ask for someone that was born on the 29th of February in a leap year, so you only have to give them the day off once every four years. But anyway, a very warm welcome. Um you you've given to us at the at the mansion, so thanks for hosting.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Oh you're more than welcome, was it's nice to have you back in the sorry it's out in the west wing, but it's nice to have you back around for once.

SPEAKER_04 1:43

And and Lee fella, how how are you this uh this this week?

SPEAKER_03 1:46

I'm very very well, Tane. One thing you did forget to mention was that uh Mars is stately at home complete with new Wasp knocker.

SPEAKER_04 1:54

Yes, yes, we had a good good rap on the door, didn't we, when when we arrived. And uh Pete, well, as we heard at the uh the start of the show there, right at the the very beginning, you met Mr. O'Driscoll in Coventry.

SPEAKER_05 2:10

I certainly did, yeah. I I I made a last-minute decision to to get on the supporters coach and and go up to Coventry. Um and uh I thought I'd try and get something positive to bring back. Uh saw Brian O'Driscoll. Gotta say, he's not the biggest lad in the world. He was uh when I approached him, he he he did look a bit nervous, but when I explained what the podcast was all about and whether he'd like to support us with a little intro, he was very happy. So fair play to an absolute rugby legend. Absolutely, and and did he look a little bit nervous because you were wearing your speedos? Uh I had my shorts on underneath, but uh to be honest, it was it was a bit parky. I never got a chance to to show them off. You had your shorts on underneath your speedos? That's it, no, the other way around. Well no, actually, what I did was I had the speedos on over the shorts, you know, just as a sort of forsake.

SPEAKER_04 2:57

No wonder he was looking nervous. Superman, Superman. So um, did did you go to Coventry on your own free will, or did we send you to Coventry? Well, I think you've answered your own question there, Tone.

SPEAKER_03 3:08

There was nothing special going on in Coventry, there was there, boys. Oh here we go.

SPEAKER_04 3:13

Boom boom. Here we go. Right, so um Blimey, as I said in the intro, we you know we were disappointed in that round one fixture, but um we didn't think things could get worse, but they did. But Lee, let me come to you first. Saw the team sheet come out on Thursday. Were you fairly confident we could go to um go up to Coventry and do a do a do the job?

SPEAKER_03 3:40

I was when I saw the team sheet, I thought, well that is that's about as strong as we could get. And um and I looked at the Wasp team and I thought, well, they've got a few key players out as well. And I I I genuinely was more optimistic than I've been all week, even though it was Wasps, even you know, our bogey team, um even though it was them and it was away, I still thought we would come back to the points, and I thought we would actually win convincingly, to be honest.

SPEAKER_04 4:07

Yeah, I I mean I must admit, I when I saw that Joan Lloyd was fit when um Charles Pietau was fit, I thought, right, this this is game one because I I thought we might be struggling for both of those. Uh, and obviously to see Purdy back on the uh as one of the spare bears, um, it was great because he he he really does make a difference, I think, to to the team when he plays. So Miles, um just tell me about that first half. I mean, how how were you feeling kind of 10-15 minutes in? Were you were you confident? Did you did you think they they were looking much better than us, or did you think it looked pretty even? Or we or we or were we looking better than them?

SPEAKER_02 4:47

I think I mean, despite them being a few of the key players down, and yeah, we are the same. I thought we looked pretty even to be honest with you. And there were some positives in that first half, believe it or not. Um I think with um Lahith coming in with Thacker and Thomas in the front row, I thought our scrum looked much improved over last week. We got a bit pushed over, didn't we, by Saracen, but we I think we held our own. Um, and sadly, obviously, Thacker went off after what only eight minutes, and Capon came on. But what was great is his throwing in the line outs was crisp. I don't think I'm not sure he missed one, so that was really encouraging. Um, and Lloyd looked encouraging really all over the pitch. So I couldn't really put too many negatives on the first half. You know, we ended up 16-8 down, but you know, and as Pat said, we don't want to chase the game. But I thought first half pretty positive, pretty even, and I thought things probably would improve after that.

SPEAKER_04 5:41

And and it was great to see Max Lahith get that try. Um, what was that only his second try? And I think it's been eight years since he last scored. And um, I wonder what odds you would have got at the bookies that after two rounds the mighty Bristol Bears top try scorer would be Max Laheath. I think that if if if you had a tenor on that, you'd be sitting pretty pretty pretty at the uh at the moment. So 16-8, you know, the game wasn't beyond us. Looked like if we could sharpen up a bit, you know, we we were absolutely still in this. Pete, how did you see that second half? I mean, you were there. What what what was it like to to experience that in person?

SPEAKER_05 6:26

Well, I mean, it goes without saying that it was it was a bit disappointing. Uh, I was sat amongst obviously a load of Wasps fans, who to be fair, were were good and they were they were pretty um, you know, they were they they didn't give me a hard time. Um and and actually going back to what Lee said earlier about thinking that we had a strong side. I mean, when I was chatting to these fans before the game started, they were saying it was half the team they didn't know anything about. They were very, they were they were fairly phlegmatic about the result, they didn't think that we wasp was gonna do much. And I've got to say that um Mars was right. The first half was was was pretty solid, but 16-8 down. I just you know, we let we let two tries in, and that was the problem that started in the first half. They looked dangerous when they got into our 22, and we didn't, and that just then carried on into the second half. And the second half was a a litany of rugby basic failures. I've got to say, it was depressing how many times we coughed up possession, how many times we gave away penalties, how many times we knocked on, and how many times we just can't finish good breaks, and you know there it's it's getting beyond a joke. You know, we make a great break, we then we don't pick it up, we we knock it on. I mean, forget about the the penalty that the try that wasn't given, you know, that was taken back by the TMO, we can argue whether that was right or wrong, but that was just one moment, uh, and there were others that were just depressing. I I it just felt, I've got to say, that very early on in the second half, a bit like that Sarry's game, it I just felt we're not gonna get anything out of this game. There just didn't feel, and this is just a subjective feeling from me being there, that there just wasn't some oomph in the side. There was there seemed to be a kind of a lack of somebody sort of knocking heads together, and and I think it takes us back to what we said last week that you know with the front row we're getting a bit turned over last week at Sarah's. We we needed a bit of filth, and to be fair to the front row, I thought they did alright. Miles is right, they held their own. But as a unit, as a forward unit, we just didn't we were second to everything, and I just felt we needed we needed somebody to just start telling people what to do. There was, there was it didn't feel like there was anyone directing, um, so it just ran away from us, and in the end, it was just embarrassing. I've got to say, a couple of those tries, people going missing, a few tackles going, just felt there was no way back.

SPEAKER_04 9:00

Oh Miles, let me come to you because obviously, like me, you watched it on the TV, potentially a turning point. I know um Pat talked about it. I'm not convinced if the try had been given that actually we would have got still any anywhere near, but um Piers O'Connor holding that ankle. Um fair that the try was scratched off?

SPEAKER_02 9:24

Yeah, I think I think so personally. I think it went back to the TMO quite a few times, and there was a bit of argument um that you know it was a loose hold of the ankle, but Dan Robson is a pretty nippy scrum half, as we know, like Uran. And yeah, potentially he would have got across and blocked Uran, who ran through and you know, scored um and uh offloaded and try and have scored. Yeah, it it seemed pretty obvious to me. I don't know what Connor was thinking. Holding a man's ankle on the ground when he's clearly not got the ball, um, I think that's fair decision, sadly.

SPEAKER_04 9:56

Yeah, and I mean, let's all all we we all acknowledge the dark arts in the ruck, but when when you were so obviously holding an ankle like that, and I mean he had one arm on it, which he might have got away with, then he put the other hand on it.

SPEAKER_05 10:09

Uh and the irony of it all is that having adequate I mean, I couldn't see what happened on the game, and then even with the screen, I mean the wasps fans by me were saying, Pooh, I looks a bit soft, you know, not got given that try. So it was hard to see. But and you boys would have had more of a forensic kind of analysis. But it to me, it looked like even if he hadn't been holding it, there was a there was a wasp forward in the way of Robson. It was almost as if he would he would have struggled to get over to Red anyway, so it was a complete waste of a blooming opportunity to do the dark arts. I just felt, and it just goes back to it. It was exactly the same as everything else, it was thinking unclearly under pressure. It was a poor decision by O'Connor to do that at that time because he didn't actually need to, yeah, and there was there were a lot of poor decisions, and and I I hesitate to say this because I don't want to get slammed for being negative, but that's how you win rugby games, you are clinical at the right times, and we lost yesterday. So I don't think it's unfair for us to point out that certain players, and and I think we have to blame players on this. Certain players made poor decisions at crucial times, and the trouble is there was a lot of them cumulatively, and and consequently we were 44-8, we lost. So we we have to we have to raise this, but the good thing is, you know, they'll know that, and it's almost like it's obvious what went wrong, so we've got something to work on.

SPEAKER_04 11:32

But but don't you think uh I mean, come to you, Lee, some of those things were obvious from the Saracens game and they haven't improved.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

Yeah, and again, I mean I I agree with Pete. I think that we you can call players out, but I do think as well, to counterbalance that some of the nonsense that's been written over the last couple of days, you know, by some of our so-called supporters have been a bit way over the top, in my opinion. But yeah, I I I just feel sorry, but what was the question again to?

SPEAKER_04 12:03

Well, just just some of those things that some of those lessons that we thought would be learned from the Saracens uh game really didn't seem to be. Um, you know, our ability to cope with or or change things up with a rush defence, some basic kind of handling errors. I think we conceded we conceded 20 turnovers in the game, and Pat talked about this afterwards on on the interview. I mean, that was a real, real killer.

SPEAKER_03 12:32

Um yeah, I mean it was eight or nine in contact as well, as Peter said, which is shocking. Uh I mean the thing is obviously we did make some adjustments because, like Pete and Miles had said, the front row was tighter and much stronger than Sarry's, but it kind of feels like we've tightened up that area, but then we're kind of almost covering gaps elsewhere, aren't we? And the thing I think it leads to a bigger problem for me is that teams have I think have sussed us out, and I think we at the moment we don't seem to have a plan B or C to combat when teams do come at us like that, and I think that's where we need to start working on you know on the training field, is actually working out when teams do come at us like that, how to work around that.

SPEAKER_05 13:20

I think you're right, you said earlier, Toe, that was didn't do anything particularly special, but they were solid, they were in the contact, they they were making yards, they were their defence, Le Bourgeois and whoever they are, and Fecketoa, they they were just they were like five percent, ten percent better in the contact. The tackling was hard, the forwards just made the forwards just seem keener, and that's what worries me a little bit is that I think our force should work this out during the game, so they've right got you know we've got we've got to take control because it's where it starts. If you are on the front foot and your forwards are taking control, then it's a lot easier to play the running game if you're on the back foot, as we know, it is very, very difficult, and you know, despite all that, we still made some good breaks, and then that was the other problem was that once we made all those breaks we didn't finish them, and that's another issue. But I do worry slightly that our forwards just look a little bit underpowered. Now, whether that is because of their ring rusty and they're still ring rusty because they didn't have a preseason, or whether that's just because they haven't quite got up to speed, but I think that's where we've got to start looking at, and actually goes back to last week. I think having said all that, I think Backer going off and capon came on, came come on, did give us a bit more solidity in the front row because I think Capon is a better scrummaging hooker, but unfortunately, it's the pack, it's the unit that had to be better, and the unit has got to be stronger next week, it's got to be stronger.

SPEAKER_03 14:47

I mean, I think as well, I don't know if you guys agree, but Lua 2 and Vui are uh two of our outstanding players, aren't they? And both miss the reliables, and they've had fairly average games, yeah. And that's that is absolutely unheard of.

SPEAKER_05 15:01

I can't remember them actually being that average for but I don't think it's it's I don't think we can uh rely on individuals in some ways, but we just had to get as a unit, we had to get 10% better in that second half, 15% better, and someone has to kind of marshal that. And I just think for whatever reason we just didn't have somebody knocking heads together.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

Well, do you think we're sort of missing the I hate to say the EFOA and the sinker, hard-nosed, you know, experienced players up front? I mean, yeah, it seems to be a passion. Have we ever known our driving wall not push over and score in a match? And it failed on numerous times. I mean, that was a string to our boat, wasn't it, last season? I wonder why that just wasn't working, did it, on every occasion in the red zone, which is collapsed. I mean it was I mean it was hard to tell.

SPEAKER_05 15:51

I mean, I think they just weren't they were just outmaneuvered and outpowered by a wasp pack the first game, like what we were hoping last week that if first game he'd be really up for it at home, going for it, and that they did everything right, wasps, to to play the first game of the season to give their fans a good start. You know, but but they did that with half their first team pack missing.

SPEAKER_04 16:13

That's the worrying thing, you know. Willis, the the other Willis is uh what's it called? Jack, isn't it? Jack, Jack Willis, no launch free as well. Um playing at flanker, he was a hooker, yeah. Um it is worrying. I think I think you're right. I mean, Lua Tua and uh Christopher didn't play badly, but they they they were just okay. Yeah, yeah. And what it's interesting, you know, I'm not that I want to get into that wolf pap mentality of Saracens, but you know, that when Ben Earl was with us last year, you saw that passion when when we win a penalty, we just we just didn't seem pumped up at all.

SPEAKER_05 16:52

I mean, for all our millennial listeners out there, it was all a bit meh. Meh.

SPEAKER_04 16:58

And you know, it didn't help with Thacker going off after, you know, um what was it about eight or ten minutes? But did you see the bandages on his on his leg? I mean, last time I saw that number of bandages when it was when I went to see Tutan Carmoon as the British Museum. You know, if if you've got that much padding on to start with, yeah, you don't look like you're you're you're fully fit. I know they said it was a knock to the hip, and then Leoa going off as well. I mean, like we we just you know the centres as well, Leoa and O'Connor, just I I didn't we didn't see much there at all, did we?

SPEAKER_05 17:37

I mean I felt as though, again, I haven't watched it back hardly any of it, so just what I remember. I just felt Piers O'Connor was a bit off the pace. I just think he's lost a bit of form. He's not a bad player, none of our players are bad. I think we're just a bit off form, but you know, let's remember that form is temporary and class is permanent. So I I think we still have to be very positive about what we've got. We know we have players, and maybe the combinations haven't quite worked, but there was too many players slightly off it, and then of course, as soon as you start chasing a game, trying too hard and going away from the system, which I guess is what happened. Um, because if you're letting like random young bloke subs who come on just run through from a ruck for 50 yards for a for a try, I mean something's gone wrong with your system there, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 18:24

So I think O'Connor needs a semi, though, doesn't he? Doesn't that's the problem? Don't be all every now and away. It's coming out with a miles coming now, aren't we? But you know what I mean? It's it's genuinely, I mean, O'Connor always will play better when semi's making those breaks, and it just gives him that fraction of a second more time to break away, and and he's not the same when he's playing alongside someone else. And and you know, as much as we all love Ala Patty, he's he's he's no semi-randrandra, is he?

SPEAKER_04 18:56

I I think one of the things that summed it up to for me is when uh Robson managed to get his boot in the way of Andy Urren's pass, I forget which try it was in the second half, but you could just sit I was at the television screaming because you could see what was gonna happen. You know, why didn't Andy or one of the players come, you know, right behind to give him a different option? And and just those kind of basic decisions, as you said, Pete, under pressure were just not happening. Um and incredibly, incredibly disappointing. But if if I had to look on the bright side, I think you know, people have already mentioned the front row did better. We weren't dominant, but we we we we were certainly on par. Um, and one of the things um that I thought Charles Pietau and Joan Lloyd looked the players that could do something uh and be dangerous, and in fact, I think Charles led with 89 metres from 11 carries, uh Jan Lloyd for 82 metres from nine carries. But the thing that was the bright spot for me was seeing Purdy back on the pitch. So I thought every time he had the ball, Miles, I don't know what you thought, but it looked like something was gonna happen, and that that's that's the bears' way that you know in that little bit of broken play, we want players that can make a difference. Your your thoughts on Purdy being back?

SPEAKER_02 20:29

I mean, he looked great. I mean, um, am I right? Did Adia Lokan get subbed off from Purdy on? Yeah, I mean, we all knew that we were sad that Purdy wasn't favorable for the start of the season. Addy Alokan looked average to pour today. I mean, Pete was just saying it was some terrible play. It was off record.

SPEAKER_05 20:48

Well, I just think I think to be fair to him, he'll hold his hand up and didn't have his greatest game. But the guy was key, you know, I I I hesitate to criticise professional rugby players because they put their bodies on the line, of course. They work through pain, but I don't think he would hold his hand up and said he had his best game, and I think we'll leave it at that.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Yeah, and I think Purdy came on and he and I think he played a solid game, he played really well, and I think you know, we've had our wings on in the last couple of weeks who we didn't expect to be on the wing, did we? And I think the minute potentially we get like a purdy and a Morahan back, it'll change things up, hopefully, significantly.

SPEAKER_05 21:27

I think actually you mentioned you were about to say it, Lee, on it. I think us missing Morahan these first two games has been a massive problem. I just want to go back to Purdy because I was sat quite close to the the dugouts and where the subs were, and I got really I need to text you boys because Purdy they had one of those bikes, and so before he went down, he got on it and he was starting to pump those pistons like that. And I knew it was coming, and you could see him. He started slow, and then he got to a right old like sprint. He was like watching Mark Cavendish pump, and then he went on.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

So uh I thought you were gonna say it was like looking in the mirror, you said.

SPEAKER_05 21:58

Wow, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:00

But um yeah, so yeah, you were gonna say about Morrowin. No, I d I mean obviously I mean you've already said that now, Pete, but I was gonna say the last the last two the the two tries in the last two minutes for me were worrying because I know Pat was saying we were chasing the game, but for me it looked like heads had gone down, and you know I think it even at 30 points to eight, we've the game's out of our uh control anyway, we're not winning that. And to concede two late tries, and I do think that's the first time we've seen heads go down properly, and and that's just my take. I don't know what you three think, but that that was worrying for me.

SPEAKER_04 22:35

I'll tell you what happened to me. My my BT stream froze just after they scored the second to last try, and it took me about 90 seconds to get it rebooted, and I thought they were showing a replay of and then I looked at the scoreboard and saw that they'd scored another one, and you're absolutely right, it's a bit like football, isn't it? If you if you four one down going into injury time, actually just accept it and make sure you don't concede another. Yeah, um, there was nothing we could possibly get out of that game at that point, and uh yeah, very, very, very disappointing. But let's let's Pete, I'm interested because this is certainly the what's it called now? The Coventry Building Society Stadium. Um what was it like?

SPEAKER_05 23:22

It was it it's it's good, it's a smart stadium, it's a football stadium, it's a it's one of those kind of identicate on a ring road stadiums. Um it's a bit dark and dingy in the concourses, and not a lot was open. Uh there was there was a few queues for drinks, um, but I've got to say, I better big up the Coventry Building Society. Some young lady was handing out vouchers, £10 meal vouchers beforehand, and of course I just assumed it was like you've got to spend £50 to get £10 off. Cued up, got me Balti Pie, Pint of Guinness, chocolate bar, came to £10. I thought I'll give it a go at this. I gave it to the girl, and she said, Yeah, that's fine. Uh it's it's it's it's £10.80, but you only have to pay 80p. So big up to the Coventry Building society for three mil out of it. Can we just have a little round of applause for the Coventry Building? Uh but um yeah, I mean it was it was alright, the atmosphere was pretty poor, I've got to say. It was pretty empty. Yeah, I I I mean I know some people fans complained a little bit about the atmosphere at our place, but I mean, it was the the Wasp fans did what was what they did when they scored, they cheered and they got a bit excited when they didn't, and then uh there weren't that many Bristol fans there. We we did our best. I stood up once and shouted Bristol and uh looked around and everyone's laughing at me, so I sat down again. Um, but it's alright, it was it was easy to get to. Um it it but it it felt like a football stadium.

SPEAKER_04 24:51

And did you do a recce for us on the uh the stash? I did. Yeah. What do you reckon compared to Bristol?

SPEAKER_05 24:57

Well, you asked me to find the shop. I I searched high and low and ended up finding some porter cabin outside that said was merchandise, and that was all it was. So I think we've got to put our travails into perspective a little bit. I mean that I did I did meet up with uh Rob Sutton who was on last week, but bumped into him and he said that that that's one of the issues they've got at the moment. The match day experience is not great for for rugby at the moment, they haven't quite sussed it. Having said that, it did have a casino, and of course, you can imagine that they would want people to be going into the casino with a sort of shirt and tie on. But after the game, we had about an hour to kill. I was with a couple of Bristol fans, Bindsey and Mike, and we went into the casino, they welcomed us with open arms, we had a nice pint, sat down, a lot of beers on show, so a lot of credit to the casino at the old uh Coventry Building Stadium. It's something that Ashton Gate could look at. It's brilliant.

SPEAKER_04 25:53

There we go. Before we go off this weekend, then um look at some of the other games. Friday night game, Gloucester 26, uh, Leicester 33, uh cracking game of rugby, and uh Leicester. Leicester are looking a bit like he did last season, actually. Really good. Um, we're gonna talk to Bath fans uh fan uh in a moment, uh, but Bath 13, Newcastle 20. I mean Bath were 23 down at half time, so uh things not good there. Exeter 24, Northampton 26. We didn't see that one coming last week. Uh Queens 35, Worcester 29, they're just carrying on, aren't they? Uh, if you score four against us, we'll score five or six against you. Uh and then a Humdinger at the first time that uh London Irish have had a proper crowd at uh at their stadium, Irish 31, Sale 31. So certainly there's uh there's a few surprises in the uh the the premiership thus far. You're listening to Bears Beyond the Gate, a Bristol Bears Podcast made by fans, four fans. We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean Bus Brown, and many more platforms. You can contact us with your comments and ideas by email at bearsbeyondegate at gmail.com. On Twitter we're at Bears Beyond the Gate, and on Facebook you can like and follow our Bears Beyond the Gate page. Okay, well, disappointing in round two. Uh let's hope things pick up massively in round three. It's Bristol versus Bath, 1st of October, 7.45 pm kickoff this Friday. Uh, and it's also the main event on BT Sport. Um, we're hugely looking forward to that. Every Bristol Bath game is uh is one to relish. But before we talk about tits, uh let's listen to the latest of Pete's Premiership previews.

SPEAKER_05 28:00

So I am joined by Matt Price, who tweets as at Bath Bites. He's spoken to us before. Um really pleased to have you on, Matt. Appreciate it. Now we have both had a horrendous start to the season. Um, but you were down the wreck yesterday, I believe. So I'd be really interested to know, you know, what was it like, what happened, what went wrong?

SPEAKER_01 28:21

Um, it was nice to be back. That was that was a nice thing, you know, turning up at the wreck, and you know, the place was buzzing, blue, black, and white everywhere. It was it was it was lovely, you know. The place was heaving with fans, there was a lot of positivity around, which unfortunately didn't really last too long. Um, but it was it was nice to actually be sat in the wreck. Um you know, beautiful place, lovely, great, um sitting down with a lot of anticipation and hope of maybe actually not losing again. Um we came close to nipping it again sale last week. Um unfortunately Orlando Bailey's last minute gig fell, you know, just short of the post, and unfortunately we lost it by one point. Um again we had a very rubbish first half, um, and then we're playing catch-up and then very nearly stalled again. Um unfortunately it seems like if we're doing rubbish in the first half, it is starting to become a bit of a um trend because yesterday that was a painful 40 minutes of rugby to watch. Um looked like they were playing with a rugby ball, look like they were playing with a bar side. Um there was not on the amount of penalties given away as ridiculous amount of killing. Uh there was a stupid amount of scrum reset. Um at one stage it went on over five minutes and just messing about the scrum. Luckily, that's why she did win the scrum penalty and we managed to clear the line. But it would get in a good position and lose it. Um there's a lot of indifference around the score, it just doesn't seem marrying very well. Um shining light is Maxijomo. Um following in the light, not following in his father's first steps because he's playing the center. But um absolutely, you know, he was he was the one real player that's today amongst everybody yesterday. Everything good about it yesterday centered around here, which is really nice. Um you know, we had a young um Oli Fox in Swan Half, Orlando Bailey, 19 years old, playing the fly half, uh Maxie Jamer 12. So this is all really young as you know Cipriani lasted 15 minutes, I think it was last week, uh, before he actually notified the ref that he's taken a lot to the head and he thinks he should go for an HIA, which he failed. So we've only got two young scrum house. So we're really struggling player-wise starting the season with three first team second row players. That's it, three in the entire squad. There's an academy lab. We've got you know Josh McDalli, Charlie Ewers and Will Smith. At the moment we have Charlie Ewers. So when I play we had Mike Williams playing in the second row yesterday, um Josh Baylors or Tom Ellis has to fill in. So in positions, we are really pushing our line. You know, we've got obviously still kind of um or um ready season on you know um stuff, yeah. So we're hopefully we should get some players like this week. Uh you know, underhill went off after 10 minutes yesterday. There's big players that we need to step up and we're losing them, so we're getting to very interesting positions. A lot of youngsters coming in and trying we knew that the academy was going to take a bit of a hunt in this season, but I didn't think you know after like the second game that we're looking at the you know the academy will be the main structure of the squad, which is quite concerned.

SPEAKER_05 32:08

What's um out of interest? I mean, what was the feeling in the crowd at the end of the match? I mean, after you said all that massive anticipation and and excitement of being back, did it turn quite quickly?

SPEAKER_01 32:18

I mean, what was your feeling about how the fans were in the first half um it rapidly went downhill by the by half time when you know you're 20 points three down and playing very turgid rugby and just not seeming to be fine following on from last season, you know, it just seems that we've had all this hype, you know, we're gonna be changing the corner, we're gonna, you know, we're doing this, we're doing that, all the videos, a lot of hope and expectations being built up, and then we're back to what we were doing last year. Um there was stuff said in the stats by fans about Hooper that I possibly couldn't even tweet um because there's not a lot of um support uh the thing is he was the captain and then suddenly he's a director of rugby. Um he's not on each of badges, he's just got an insta as a director of rugby, he's not got any experience anywhere else. Um and he you know he he loves bath, and you can tell he loves bath, but he also loves some good um sort of uh manager talk as well. He's um very fluent in talking a lot but not making many points as a corporate speaker. Yeah, oh he's all over the corporate speaker, it's brilliant. Um you can play bingo with some of the phrases that he's gonna come over. Um but he you know, we've got Neil Hatley, who's now the head coach, who was with England. The scrum was on roller skates, it was just and it was like you know, with you know, this is the England ex-England forwards coach, and he was doing a superb job there. But why all of a sudden is our scrum absolute toffee? It was just it was painful to watch.

SPEAKER_05 34:10

So you know what, mate? I I almost feel sorry for you, except for the fact we've got to play each other on Friday.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

Now I I checked the results yesterday, um at five minutes before, and I will just say I did tweet, Well, there's one ray of light.

SPEAKER_05 34:26

Yeah, well I'm not surprised.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

And people have just been pumped. So that was lovely.

SPEAKER_05 34:32

Having said all that, if you cast your mind back to last season, obviously, the uh the game at Ashton Gate. Now we've we've had a terrible start to the season, um, but one thing I do know is that we're we're we're pushing a lot of season uh sale ticket sales this Friday. It's gonna be a massive night under the lights. I think for both teams, it's a huge night, isn't it? Uh it's a huge game. Um, we we have got to get our season on track. We're we're we're we've got naught points, we're bottom of the table. You you as you rightly said, have have had a disappointing start after a bit of hype. So I'm gonna put you on the spot, Matt. Um, what do you think is gonna happen on Friday, realistically?

SPEAKER_01 35:11

So I'm being brave and I'm going to attend Ashton Gates once. Um the last time I went, it wasn't very it wasn't a lot of fun. Um it was bloody torture, actually. Um, and I'm gonna go. Um I'm very nervous. Um, I know that you've had a guff start to the season, you know, it's it's not been great. Um some of the scorelines are shocking, you know, from from you know, from a half fan looking at it. I mean it's nice, don't get me wrong, it's lovely to see, you know, after the last couple of seasons, it's quite nice to see um points like that being built on you, but we know what you're capable of. We know what you've got. Um you guys have just done a massive investment in Pat Lan as well, which is a very, very bold move. Um so you know, there's a lot of faith in in in because of the last few seasons and how you build the K you've had a couple of bad games, we've not had a good couple of seasons. Um it's starting as it was going last year. So I didn't have a lot of faith. I will always agree. Yeah, so um I'm I'm going very apprehensively. I can't recall the game because if you guys carry on play like you are, then maybe we can get sniffing with the way we started the matches in the last two games and the penalties and we could get absolutely smashed off the party. So there's the potential it can go both ways, and I think that's the first time in the last couple of seasons I've been able to say that as well. You guys are in the ball and uh everywhere. You don't seem to be firing at the moment, so whether we can get into that and get some advantage from it, or we get an angry beast coming back at us. It's it's just I don't know, it's really hard.

SPEAKER_05 37:23

Well, I think it's good to hear that you you come in though. You put your you're putting your uh money where your mouth is, and that's fair enough, and with a lot of respect for coming down. So um is gonna be a good night, I hope. It'll be uh it'll be good to start with anyway. I must I must warn you that cues for the beer in a stadium will be pretty long. So have a few pints before you get in. But if we do manage to catch up with you, it'll be great to say hello in person and buy you a pint for doing that.

SPEAKER_04 37:49

Well, Pete, uh it's fair to say that maybe between us and Bath, it's not the greatest advert for uh rugby at the moment.

SPEAKER_05 37:59

No, uh Matt was very honest. Um he he said it was awful at the wreck, as you heard. Uh he's bemoaning very similar things to us these first two games, silly, silly, uh, silly mistakes, lack of uh you know, sloppy play. Um but yeah, he he gave he gave us uh uh a bit of incentive, actually, for me, I've got to say. I mean I think uh he uh he didn't he didn't he didn't hold out much hope, does he? But which I think is you know puts a little bit more pressure onto us because I I think we have to win. I really think we have to win, otherwise we're gonna go into what might be a mini crisis.

SPEAKER_04 38:39

Yeah, I think I think you're absolutely right. And Pete, you know, I know we can't do it every week, but I think it was really great that you managed to speak with Matt um on Sunday afternoon. We're recording this our usual time on Sunday evening. So to have that perspective from this week's game to then talk about next week's is is is really good. Um Lee, let me come to you. Um are you fancying our chances next Friday?

SPEAKER_03 39:06

Yeah, I think that we'll we would have certainly been Pat will go in tomorrow morning and give them their dryer, I think, and they'll they'll be up for it anyway. It's a local derby, we always are. I think Joycey will get them get them rocking. Um I think Joycey might play actually fine.

SPEAKER_05 39:24

I'm pretty sure um Joycey's gonna be on the bench through the old great point.

SPEAKER_03 39:28

And one thing I was gonna say actually, because I I noticed that actually Spencer and Cock and a single are out for Bath as well, long-term injuries.

SPEAKER_05 39:36

Cypriot's got guaranteed to play, as Matt said. Hooper was very omenar about it. Um so yeah, and um I think um what's his name? Underhill went off injured as well. So we we don't know what we're gonna face, but it's not gonna be full strength, that's for sure. And I think Matt even said they only got one fit second row at the moment, so they've got their problems.

SPEAKER_03 39:58

Well, we've got obviously Purdy's gonna be straight back in the starting line, he's got to be. I know we'll talk about that later, but um we don't know how far away Luke is. I mean, Luke's got to be pretty close, isn't he?

SPEAKER_04 40:11

Well, I don't know. Some of the some of the words that were on the commentary, and you know, I I think it might be more longer term than than we suspect. Um so I think Nual Argo, we know, is that that that that broken arm wrist. Um, so that that's gonna be a good couple of months. They were talking about Luke being out for a while as well, so um yeah, I think wing is gonna be an issue for us, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:36

But no, I'm I'm still confident, and to be honest, I I don't think there's any bigger incentive than after getting smashed at wasp to to play our biggest rivals, our local rivals, uh, down at the gate, and I think the fans will be behind them again. And um I'm confident of victory.

SPEAKER_04 40:53

Right, well, let's come to Miles. Are you as confident as Lee? And Miles, just uh after you answer that point, just tell me any changes you think Pat might make in the pack.

SPEAKER_02 41:07

Um yeah, I mean, yeah, we're all 110% behind Bristol, and after that, uh what do you I mean that's a drubbing this weekend, isn't it? Um basically. Yeah, Pat will give them a you know strong talking to tomorrow morning, they'll be training flipping hard all week. And if if something like a local J is not going to sort of incentivise you to play 110%, I don't know what is really. Um yeah, there'll be a massive fan base there, huge crowds, lots of shouting from us and all the other thousands of fans. I'm confident of the win. I mean, we've had two pretty bad games, uh I think Pete's right. Um we lose this one, and it's a mini crisis, really, isn't it? Um so you bet you better keep the Duchess away, mate. Well, she's not coming this week, thankfully. She's here you see flying in, babysitting, and then flying going back up for girly weekend. So thankfully we're all right. Another one. Yeah, I know another girly weekend up in Harrigan. Um, yeah, but we've got to play, we've got to switch on really, uh, do what we do best, and we'll get the win over bath. Changes wise, I mean the scram, as I described you know, a little while ago was encouraging. Um, we don't know if Thacker is out, there was a little hip injury, maybe for one game, we'll see. But K-Pon was perfectly capable of coming in, uh, and we know we've got potentially, I think, Kerr who can come in on the bench. But I don't see any changes in the pack really at the moment. Um, it was strong enough. We know a lot of Bath first team players are out, so that should be dominant, really. Um and maybe you guys want to talk about maybe where we might make changes in the backs.

SPEAKER_04 42:55

Yeah, I I think unless a foa is is fit, um, I can't see that we've got that many options. Uh, I don't know whether whether you'd unleash a Fitz Harding or or maybe bring him on, but it's got to that difficult position now, hasn't it? I think with this bath game, that because we've lost the opening two, this has suddenly become really important. Will Pat gamble too much, or will he, you know, as he's done before, say to the boys that have you know messed up, go and put it right next week. Um, I just one person that we didn't mention was Dave Atwood, and I thought certainly in the first half against uh Wasps, he looked like the one that did have a bit of fire in his belly. But having said that, Dave Atwood always does look like that. Um, so let me come to you, Pete, and maybe your thoughts on the backs and what changes we may see. Is it is it a foregone conclusion Purdy's in on the wing?

SPEAKER_05 43:54

Yes, I think so. I think he looked, he came on, he looks, he looked fit to me. He didn't pick up. any injuries and and he and he he looked he looked like what we need so I'd say purdy again I mean I think this controversial I think I think Lloyd will stay on the wing because he'd enough but you know we're gonna be starting to think about you know are we thinking of Lloyd at 10 to give him a go at some point um and that's nothing not detracting from Sheedy but I think we have to we have to have a competitive situation um uh at uh at every position and and Lloyd is a fly half and he's playing well so um so but I don't think that'll happen I think we'll stick with Sheeds I I personally think it's it's time to start Harry Randall um a number of reasons one I think he does just give us that little zip that extra zip that we need although that is not taken away from Andy O'Reilly didn't have a bad game actually yesterday um and it's not easy when your forwards aren't dominating um but I just think you know he's been picked for England for a reason we've had two games where he hasn't started we're gonna lose him and we need to play him and get the most out of him so I I think the you know I'm gonna predict potentially Randall starts sheedy will Sheedy will be fly half but I think Lloyd is got is going to get chance soon if nothing massively changes. I think the centres are interesting I I think Leua sorry and Piers O'Connor is a is problematic I know Leua went off so it may open the door for Bedloe to start but then you have got you could look at Purdy coming at the centres potentially as well if they're a bit worried about the firepower in the middle but that would be a big gamble and I don't think he'll go for it. I think he'll I think he he could start with Bedloe and O'Connor but that does slightly worry me.

SPEAKER_04 45:53

Let me let me run this one up the flagpole and see if it flutters people talk about semi Ran Randra being one of the fittest men and most dedicated trainers. He's been back for a week he'll have another week will Pat be tempted to to throw him in it's a big one it it depends on the way he looks at it.

SPEAKER_05 46:14

I I I mean the risk of doing that is if he is undercooked and he pulls a hammy you know we lose him for another six weeks it's it's a hard one but if he feels that that is a weak area we've had and we're we're we're it's an it's it's something that needs tightening then you know it's not it's not a bad shout Tony I I I mean he's what do we think he came back to England this week maybe last week we're not quite sure so we're talking two last week weeks of training no pre-season but then that didn't you know stay with everyone um it's a tricky one that it's a risk and it's a gamble is Pat a big gambler or is he a bit more uh is he a bit more um a bit more conservative conservative with a little C yeah okay Lee you've heard the boys give their thoughts what what do you reckon who do you think we might see in and out I to be honest I can't tinker too much of what the boys have said I I think that actually purds on the wing makes complete sense for me um I I have got semi in the side um because I I think that actually he's he's not that undercooked because he has played more rugby anyway um and I think that it's against Bath I I I do agree I don't think Pat would risk him if there was any chance of injury but I think if if you know he's going all guns blazing in training this week Sammy comes back in for uh alapate um I agree Randall I'd start Randall instead of Uren um and yeah but that's pretty much I think he'll go with the same the same team I've got another possible left field choice. I can't remember if Miles said it because I wasn't listening when he was talking but I'm thinking number eight did I did I I'm thinking there's a position that may come under scrutiny quite soon because I don't think Hughes has had much impact in the first two games and again on at the weekend I felt as though he didn't really offer a lot and he's so I'm thinking you know Mitch Eady hungry for success we don't know how he's been training is it the time to throw him in on a local derby get a bit of passion in the pack for it so it's a massively at left field choice but I just felt as though we need something a little bit more bit more oomph in that pack a bit more local and I was thinking Fitz Harding potentially could be an answer I just think a bit of pace off the base of the scrum slightly faster hands but why not Mitchie's you know the pre-season article about him being hungry to get his place back wants to wants to perform and what's a better time to get him in than the local derby and I do I do think that that that that's that's a good chat I mean Nathan Hughes hasn't been hasn't had the best start to the season has he no he's he's just been solid yeah he's just he's been solid but he needs he he needs a run against doesn't he seem to have a build up that number eight we saw their number eight like galloping in from 50 yards yesterday you know we need something well it's a typical number eight now in other squads is a very mobile number eight isn't it which is what Nathan doesn't really bring anymore I think he's getting older his posters dropped a bit and I don't think you know fans would love to see Fitz Harding given a go really and yeah maybe maybe Hughes is good in the certain positions at certain points but we haven't got into any of those positions at any points at the moment and I'm thinking is that going to happen so we'll see that that again comes back to us having a plan B and a plan C, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_04 50:09

I I think one of the difficult things with with Nathan Hughes I mean he is an out and out number eight yeah uh so if he doesn't play it's almost a gamble to have him on the bench because he can't really cover a across the back three so you know in this modern game of rugby you know if you want to have three backs which Pat always does you need your front row three then you need someone in the second row and then you need somebody that can play flanker or at number eight yeah so I I think the problem if if Nathan doesn't play what you've got is a number eight I suppose you could argue if you've got a a number eight that can play across the different ones that you can bring Nathan on and switch things round but uh I think it will be interesting as you say some of the big guns the Luatoas the Buoys the the Nathan Hughes not quite firing but um let's hope 2021000 people at Ashton Gate um are going to fire them up and uh that we see a win which brings me on to prediction time can can can can I can I claim a victory last week because I said it was going to be a draw and you you all thought Bristol were going to win you got two out of two yeah okay no no absolutely not but for 44 it's not it's not it's not the result it was a loss. It was still glazes though it wasn't yeah it wasn't even predicted the whole thing wrong it's it's only tongue in cheek um right so this week I'm gonna come to Miles first for your prediction for Bristol versus Bar.

SPEAKER_02 51:52

It don't don't don't start with the sign ones come on right we need to boost the troops man and this is difficult because we've got it so badly wrong in the last two games and we don't know where this match is going.

SPEAKER_04 52:07

If we turn it around let I'm gonna it's not gonna be a romp I'm gonna go for 214 to Bristol okay I'm gonna come to you next Lee I'm going for a romp to go on then I'm going for a proper 366 romp.

SPEAKER_05 52:23

Ooh Pete your thoughts well it's high risk this but I think that could be tight for 10 minutes or so and then I think the pecker will be up and it will be a romping route and I reckon we might start pushing that 50 points that we didn't quite get last season.

SPEAKER_06 52:45

Come on come on so what are you saying then?

SPEAKER_04 52:48

I'm saying I can't believe I'm saying but I feel as though I've been a bit a bit like down the dumps this pod so I'm saying it only takes a few knock-ons not to happen a few penalties not to go against us I'm saying 5112 get in that sopie's right as well well miles I I'm I'm gonna go more with you fella because I I think both teams will be desperate not to lose this game uh and I I I think it will be quite tight but uh I I just do think we'll have uh more firepower so I'm gonna go for a uh 23 points to 10 win for Bristol um okay so just looking ahead at some of those other games Northampton entertained London Irish uh Leicester at home to Saracens now that will be a really interesting game to see how far Leicester have progressed uh Newcastle versus Wasps and again be interesting to see how wasps perform there um whether it was a bit of a a flash in the pan uh this weekend or whether whether they are starting to build something Worcester Gloucester I think Gloucester might struggle there now Worcester have been pretty free scoring haven't and then sale against Exeter now this one I I am interested to get your views very quickly round the table are Exeter gonna lose their third game on the spin or are they going to go to the AJ Bell and pick a uh a win up I'm gonna come to you first Pete yeah they're gonna they're gonna narrowly win Exeter yeah your thoughts every time we've written Chiefs off they've come back and turned it around and uh Chiefs will win no I think they'll suffer their third defeat on the bounce I mean they've got a few player mate key players out my mate yeah it's the Chief's mate is worried so a loss again I I think it'll be really tight this one I'm gonna go for a draw brilliant actually I was gonna I I'd notice I mean London Irish drew a game they they draw a lot of games don't they I'm gonna start putting a couple of quid on Irish to draw I reckon I'd make my money back every season they they drew two or three Lassies have they once once and usually it's about 20 to one 22 to one so that's that's gonna be my money making scheme for for for this year. It's that stadium isn't it because didn't Brentford also get a 3-3 draw against the default yeah the the Brentford community draw stadium so uh there we go well we've uh one thing we have got to look forward to um is um uh supping some ale and I'm sure we we and all Bristol fans will not only sup a few pints before but after uh Pete's 5112 predicted victory we'll we'll sup even more afterwards and it's great news that uh Bristol Beer Factory now have got the deal with Ashton Gate to supply uh the beer so to give you a little taster of what you may be tasting on Friday we spoke to Sam Burroughs the uh managing director of Bristol Beer Factory uh factory about the deal uh and what you can maybe expect on Friday night well I'm delighted to say that uh on Bears Beyond the Gate this week we have Sam Burroughs Beer Factory Sam thanks ever so much for coming on the podcast Tony thanks for having me it's great to be here um first of all um how did the deal the sponsorship deal with Bristol Spore and uh Ashton Gate how did that come about?

SPEAKER_00 56:38

Well it's probably been about seven years in the making really Tony I've been speaking to Mike Kelly who's uh the MD down at the stadium for about seven years and he's always been very keen to get more local businesses involved within the stadium and I suppose really the timing was just right for us at this time with with the pandemic and lockdown it was a bit of an opportunity to bring some in fresh for the fans as they come back after sort of 18 months away. So yeah we were really lucky in our timing.

SPEAKER_04 57:12

That's fantastic and can I ask you know do you or uh people that are involved with the Bristol Beer Factory have you got connections with the clubs with with City and uh and the bears no more than we there's a few season taking holders for for the football and for the rugby I had to have it and most of us are sort of rugby orientated at the brewery so we've all got uh we all support Bristol there are there are some ringers out there have got their uh things in other pies when uh another couple turn up just want to do that for the city, you know I mean absolutely now um as fans I think we can expect to be able to sample in and around the ground um or in the ground actually three of your brews.

SPEAKER_00 58:01

Um could could could you tell me what those three are so right across the stadium you have got three of our beers who are available in every bar. So we have a beer called fortitude which is our sort of ampassion and that is all about balance between all the conversations we also have another beer independence across the world so every bear that's all that actually games all that money goes to help sustaining that charity.

SPEAKER_04 59:24

And that that that's fantastic and that's is is it zero alcohol or is it low alcohol that we're 4.5 yeah yeah so zero yeah so if if if if people maybe just fancied one um and uh had to uh to get away at quickly after the game that's that's maybe a good one to go for. Now of course we've got the the big came game coming up uh on Friday against that lot from down the road um can can you tell me is is there anything else you're doing is is it just the beers inside the concessions or is there anything else you're doing at the at the stadium?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:00

Yeah at the stadium we will be doing uh a couple of pop-up bars around um I assume you're at the Saracens game with the queues for the concessions are really busy um and if the fans had come outside at halftime they would have seen all the bars and all the bears around the ground um quite quiet so the advice of the fans is to get out into the fan zone at halftime grab a point and fill another point up and get back to anybody for the second half of these outside the fan zone up as well as that's that the same three beers or or is it a broad range of UPS in the top of the the fortune independence will be on in the top um we'll also have another one of our beers called notorious which is a sort of 3.8% copy sort of session pay all people have a better milk style outside as well for the dark beer lovers. And we'll have to say the independence of fortitude porn as well so a good choice around the ground.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:21

That that sounds fantastic I'm a particular fan of your milk style so uh I'll I'll be down for one of those uh certainly before the game fight yeah we'll certainly will uh Sam uh you know best of luck with this um sponsorship I think I talk for many fans that it's so good to see a brewery that is literally just up the road now supplying the beer for for Bristol Bears. Uh I think it's a great deal. And just before I let you go um have you got a prediction for the Bears vs bath game on Friday 2613 to Bristol of course Sam thanks ever so much it's been a pleasure talking to you. Yeah thanks Tony thanks for having us well I I mean I just love the fact they've been so persistent around you know trying to do something with the bears um and what a great top tip so they've got the pop-up outside the stadium so at halftime instead of getting in those massive queues get outside see the Bristol beer factory boys and I'll tell you what milk stout I do like their milk stout the tone let's just keep it amongst ourselves that one yeah oh yeah yeah that one yeah yeah do you want to edit that bit out yeah yeah yeah it's gonna it's gonna be to the relief of a lot of the uh staff on the concourse as well isn't it if we take a few a few supporters away from that time yeah but uh what what fantastic you know it it is a brewery literally just up the road supplying the beer for for City uh for for the bears and you know to hear that Tristan the head brewer big Bristol Bears fan as well so uh it's our it's our home before uh before kickoff isn't it we always go and pop in there for a pint and you know it's our it's our local we we we we often do don't we we often do except for the times when we don't but uh I'll tell you what I think it's a great incentive to get down the ground early knowing that you're gonna get some decent booze on the uh outside there in the fans village so uh um Sam uh thanks for the interview and uh you know we wish you every success with this uh this venture with Bristol Sport um actually we we talked just a while ago about predictions for the um the bath game and uh if you listened last week you'll know that we've got our own league in the Premiership Predictions League um numbers have swelled there's 25 people now taking part and Lee let me come to you um guess who is bottom of the newly expanded league of 25 with zero out of 12 predictions correct that's shocking Tony but I'm I'm looking to my left and the guy smiling at me is Pete so I'm imagining is it Pete by any chance? Bristol Saint is up three simple explanations. I don't know don't give me don't give me I didn't have time to do my predictions if you if if you don't predict you're out I just love the fact that he just he foug he loves his football team so much he he would follow them to the bottom of the table as well so on Pete yeah true support yeah but just like Bristol Bears I'm starting slowly and I'm gonna make I'm gonna gain momentum and let's see who's at the top at the end of the season boys alright so I haven't even entered it yet and I've got as many points as Pete well basically yeah anybody that does want to enter you you have a great chance of not being bottomed with with Pete's current form uh right Miles let me come to you next um we have uh a new sign in for the club um and I don't know if people have seen this about uh someone that's joining the Academy uh Lucas Bertie Newman um who is coming from Ireland uh a centre uh and uh evidently it's a three year deal with the academy now miles you're you're you're you're looking as blank you're looking you're looking as blank as the wall that's behind you so actually I'm gonna come to Pete who who does actually is nodding um your thoughts on this bit under the radar well it does and and from what I've read on reports is that it's it it's kind of Ireland's best kept sort of academy or youngster secret and people are sort of saying that Leinster shouldn't have let him go so he's uh uh a very promising centre I believe is that tone and he loves an offload which we could do with a few of them at the moment um one thing I've got to say because I I did read most of this stuff on Twitter that there was a picture

SPEAKER_05 1:06:00

On Twitter from when it was first announced through his club, and the picture on Twitter bore no resemblance to the one that was put on the official Bristol Bears account later on. So I don't know who this random guy was on the first tweet that I saw. He looked like some sort of Adonis. But um yeah, this guy apparently he's got a brother, isn't he? He's he's uh and apparently uh as a geography teacher, my my uh my antennae were raised. He he's doesn't he qualify to play for Chile or something like that. It's uh he's got some sort of Chilean heritage as well. As well as yeah, it was definitely there was a there was a tweet in Spanish about it from the Chile official Chile rugby union, and it said something like uh Los Anos uh British Dalas or something like that. So uh Well there we what language was he speaking in?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:00

I'm just loving it.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:01

Miles is on his phone googling there professional to the last minute. I know at least one of our listeners out there will know the answer to whether he's uh from he's a cheerful.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:12

Well what they are Pete. Bristol bears outrageous midfield talent away from Leicester. Leinster, so there we are.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:21

So this guy potentially you know signed him for the academy, but but he could be a fast riser then, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:27

Well, the way the season's going, he could make his debut in about three weeks or so.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:32

Right, so moving along then, uh bit of a bit of social media uh engagement here. We had a question from uh one of our big uh listeners, Roddy Jenkins, and Roddy said, and I'm gonna pass this to you, Lee. Um a possible discussion topic for tonight's Bears Beyond the Gate recording. Would the lads and fellow Bears fans like to see Sarah Cox refereeing a match at Ashton Gate?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:59

Yeah, I mean I think it's it's brilliant, but I don't want to make too much of a fuss of it because I think that, you know, it we all know the women's game is is coming on leaps and bounds now, but I want it to be something we don't talk about, and then it becomes actually just normal. Do you know what I mean? If that makes sense, it will be great, it would be fantastic, um, as long as obviously she has her Bristol head on. And um, no, I think it it would be great, and I think that I'm looking forward to an era where actually these things aren't talked about, they just become the norm.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:34

No, absolutely, absolutely. I think I think it will be great. Um, and uh yeah, I mean, all we ever want, regardless of who it is, is the referees to be good and fair and and and and keep the game flat.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:48

As long as it doesn't coincide with a Radio 2 show, it'll be fine.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:51

Yeah, absolutely. I think it might, I think it might be a different one. Um, okay. Um, I don't know if you also picked up on social media, uh, one of the young uh Bears fans called Toby is uh doing a charity event uh all through the season, and we're hoping Toby's gonna join us on next week's show. We're just trying to organise that, but he is gonna be very busy because uh he he's raising money um uh for uh I think it's for the um the hospice, and what he decided to do, and I really like this, it's a really clever idea, something different, and he probably thought he was gonna get an easy, easy one. He's gonna run a kilometre for every point that Bristol concede. And what he's gonna do is run those kilometers between the game where they concede those points and the next game. Now, we now know, and Paul Toby knows as well, and he's at school, Toby mind, um, that Bristol conceded 44 points. Now that's 44 kilometres, and if I'm not mistaken, a marathon is 42 kilometres. So Toby, between now and the bath game, is gonna have to try and get out there and uh get some kilometres in. Now I'm sure all listeners would forgive him if he has to carry a few over, and let's hope um perhaps don't score too too many. But we are gonna try and get Toby on. We're gonna speak to his mum and dad, and hopefully he'll be on for an interview on next week's show. Lee.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:28

Well, so now we know the real reason that we're conceding all these points then. It's obviously that's the version of the charity fund, mate. It's uh it's raising the kitty up. Poor old Toby's gonna suffer for it.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:40

Yeah, so Toby, uh, good luck with your your your running this week, and uh we look we look forward to speaking to you hopefully after the bath game. So so you can assess how many kilometres. Let's hope for your sake, you know, maybe it's a shutout, or maybe maybe we let them have the three three points. Um, so we look forward to to speaking to you next week. Well, that's nearly it, fellas. But uh one thing that's been buzzing around for a while, and certainly since that semi-final defeat uh at home against Harlequins was maybe the the fact that you know this has been talked about for a quite a few seasons that Bristol really have only one song or chant, and that's our our famous Bristol Bristol. So we were talking about this after recording last week's show, and we thought maybe it's an opportunity to change this. So this will either be a game changer as far as fan participation, or we are gonna fall flat on our faces. So um, well, Pete, do you want to tell the listeners what we've come up with?

SPEAKER_05 1:11:50

Well, what we thought was is that you know we need something that everybody can sing along to um to just kind of g the atmosphere up at regular basic bases through the game, almost regardless of what's going on. Um, because obviously, you know, we all know that when you turn over page one of the Bristol Bears songbook, it's blank. So we thought, well, what's the song that everyone knows? And of course, everyone last season got very aware of the Blackbird. We saw it all on social media being playing, uh being sung by the lads after they won the games. So we thought, yeah, the blackbird would be good, but we've got to give it a little bit of a it's got to have a bit of impetus. So we then thought about the old uh, you know, when Iceland did the in the Euros, did the old thunderclap, didn't we? So we thought what we should do is at publicise a specific time, and we're saying 10 minutes. This is gonna this is now gonna be called the 10 minute tune. And what we want, I mean we've got to unfortunately I just realised Tone that it's not it doesn't count up the clock, does it? It counts down from 40. So when it gets to 30, so it can be quite confusing for some people, but when the clock gets to 30, we want as many people to stand up and do the following, I know where we be, and so on. And if we can uh we can do that and get a kind of oral Mexican wave going round the stand, we think that would be good. The only caveat, which we discussed right before the online, is that if it's the 30 or the 10 minute comment, just as we're about to like take a line out for a rolling ball or we're about to score, the rule is we'll wait until that play is finished, and then when it stops, we'll then do it then.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:41

In other words, we don't do a dangzy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:44

So 10 minutes, we want people to stand up, do the thunderclap, and get the old um get the old blackbird going.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:55

Right, so uh when that clock in the first half can't stand to 30 minutes remaining, look for full blokes in the door E30 block in the dolman, about halfway up at the the upper section, get to their feet, watch those arms, watch the thunderclap, where we that lacker two I know very so you know we we've got hundreds of listeners, so my plea is to you don't leave us hanging.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:30

And I know for a fact uh that there's at least two blokes in the south stand who've agreed based on a conversation that was a trunk. So there's at least six of us. They signed a contract, they sit in the south stand. I'll name them. It's our good friend Binzy and his mate Michael. They are sat behind the goal in the south stand, they have signed a contract to say that they are gonna do it as well on 10 minutes, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:14:56

So you see, when the clock countdown clock hits 30, we'll be standing up and join us and let's get the gay rocking! Right, guys. Well, that's it for for this week. Um, thanks ever so much, uh Miles, for for hosting. Um, if you like what you've heard, please do subscribe and leave a review or rating for us on your favourite podcast platform. Not a plot form, a platform. Uh we'll be back next week with our review of the bath game and a preview of the Queens match. Until then, goodbye, stay lucky and come on, Briz.