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'If we are more ruthless': Pat Lam's message to his Bristol side after big win
By PA
Bristol boss Pat Lam believes his team can be serious Heineken Champions Cup contenders if they become more ruthless.
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Bristol ended their pool phase campaign with a 52-21 bonus-point victory over the Scarlets in Llanelli.
They had already qualified for the tournament’s round of 16 in April, and a rousing finale that saw them score three tries in six minutes – and 31 points during the final quarter – left Scarlets shell-shocked.
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“We can be serious contenders (in Europe) if we are more ruthless,” Lam said.
“We showed 20 minutes of being ruthless today. Everyone wants to do the off-loads and run with the ball, but it’s that work off the ball that is really appreciated.
“The goal we set for these last two weeks was to get us into the round of 16, and now we put that away.
“We have a bye in the Premiership next weekend, which is perfect timing, and the players get a chance to recover, and then we come back and we begin our climb up that table by improving our performance.
“If we can improve our performance, the table will take care of itself, and we will be a better team coming back in April, which is what I am excited about.”
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Bristol moved third in Pool B, although they will be overhauled by Munster if the Irish side defeat Wasps on Sunday and claim a bonus point.
Centres Semi Radradra and Ioan Lloyd scored early Bristol tries, yet it was not until the closing stages that they cut loose as a penalty try was followed by a rapid scoring burst.
Harry Thacker, Piers O’Conor and Ratu Naulago all touched down, before Radradra scored again, fly-half Callum Sheedy claimed a try, while also adding five conversions.
Lloyd, who missed out on a place in Wales’ Six Nations squad, was the game’s dominant figure before an ankle problem forced him off after 30 minutes.
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Lam added: “I was really pleased for him. There is a lot of expectation, and being able to play in a number of positions.
“His defence is an area that has really improved. He is 20-years-old, and it is about building him as a rugby player.”
The Scarlets had their moments through tries from hooker Ryan Elias and full-back Johnny McNicholl, with Rhys Patchell booting three penalties and a conversion, but their European Cup campaign is over for another season.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “I am disappointed, because at 60 minutes we were in it, but I felt we gave away points far too easily.
“I think the lesson for us is that we can’t afford to give points away easy after we have worked hard for our points. That is the message we have given.
“(Conceding) 31 points in the last 20 minutes is pretty tough reading for us. The competition for us on the whole has been fractured, at best.
“I felt we fired shots and went after them with ball in hand. We did play some good stuff, and I think we were aggressive in defence at times, but we couldn’t sustain it. It is an 80-minute game.”
