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An 'alignment group' and 'ABC' analysis - how Bristol have upped the dressing room ante during recent Premiership intervals

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Pat Lam has lifted the lid on the way Bristol successfully go about their half-time business, conducting forensic dressing room reviews that recently saw them transform 5-9 and 14-10 interval scorelines into respective 27-19 and 29-17 Gallagher Premiership wins over Harlequins and Newcastle. 

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The Bears, who this weekend head to reigning champions Exeter, has been very much dependant on their second-half performances in recent weeks, a situation that also stretches back to last month’s European matches versus Connacht and Clermont. 

It has been suggested that Lam must be giving his players the hairdryer treatment in order for them to respond the way they have done after recent Premiership intervals, but the Bristol coach has revealed the various improvements are down to simply running through their process and making fixes as they go.         

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Goodbye to 2020!

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Goodbye to 2020!

“The beauty is having a clear plan,” said Lam about the difference in recent weeks about how Bristol have performed in the second half compared to what they have done in the first half of Premiership games. “We have two different groups – we have a leadership group which runs the team and different personalities look after it, but we have an alignment group that is selected every week after we select the team. 

“There is probably about ten of these guys who determine the mindset for the game and they are aligning the coaches and the players if you like. They look at the last bit of the week and certainly the game and the tactics. 

“The beauty about that is when they go out to start the game we have a clear plan on what we want to do, so the half-time talk is always just referencing the plan. It’s not emotional. Like the Quins game, we knew the plan and whether that is the technical or tactical side of it or whether it is around work rate or physicality, the boys always determine the key things. 

“We maybe have five or six key things we need to deliver and we work our way through it, so half-time becomes checking off that, how that is going. The last two games, the first one we knew straight away it was work rate and that got sorted. And the one on the weekend was we were able to work out if this is not working what is it? 

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“Is it discipline, guys not doing certain jobs? You look at the way that Newcastle mauled us and we have got one of the best maul defences – it’s the first time ever we have lost the maul metres battle which John Muldoon does. 

“What we knew straightaway is two or three guys were causing the issue but John was able to go through with the forwards and highlight that, it got fixed straight away. Funnily enough, I know George (Kloska) and Pete (McCabe) did a great effort stepping in, but again what I challenge some of the guys who came in they didn’t get those roles right. 

“They were fantastic on their tackles and stuff but there is a system that they have got to do and if they get the system wrong we all pay the price. So we tidied that up, made that aware and they just sorted that out. A lot of that second half when we improved, people think it is my talk but all it is is a focus to the area where we are not working to what we agreed would work. 

“That game plan is something that comes back to ABC when we do analysis. A, all our assumptions – what we believe the other team is going to do and what will work. B is we believe they could try something different, and C is confirming so all we are doing on the field is confirming what we train and what we say we are going to do and at half-time, I’m just putting a focus back on those areas if that makes sense.”

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O
Oh no, not him again? 1 hour ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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