Well, what a Christmas present that was! With Santa’s sack bulging with eight tries and a series of match statistics that would require a NASA mainframe to crunch, the Bears mauled Leicester Tigers 54-24 in yet another stampede of attacking rugby.
Saturday’s masterpiece was both a gift and a clear message to the wider rugby world. Be brave, be accurate and learn to love the game that has been strangled by COVID, conservative game plans and poor administration. When you hear the commentator saying that mid-way through the first half George Kloska and Ellis Genge are playing like Guscott and Carling in their pomp then you know you are witnessing something special.
But that simply scratched the surface of what was unfurling. At the break we had scored the greatest number of first half points in Premiership history [40], Leicester had conceded the most, and we were on course for ten away wins on the bounce, a Herculean effort that has never been seen in the topflight. Norris McWhirter would have been grinning in his grave because when long standing records are broken you know that things are going from good to great.
To be fair, Tigers also tried to play but they were feeding off early leftovers and festive gifts. They didn’t have the fitness, the defensive structure or the whole court game to trouble us. They were at an above-average Premiership level whereas we were up, up and away with St Nick and the Reindeers. They are a rightfully proud club, their fans will point out that Bristol haven’t won much, and there is still a lingering dislike for Pat Lam and the infamous Afoa-gate match, but even the saltiest of salty East Midlander would have to grudgingly admit that they were well beaten.
This was the best 80-minute performance of Pat Lam’s tenure, delivered from a team that has surpassed the one that stormed to the play-off semi final in 2021. Why? Because it is more balanced. The sum is much greater than the parts. Ravouvou Ravouvou is already performing more consistently than Semi Radradra, Gabriel Ibitoye is rendering the great King Charles [Piutau] a distant memory and JVR has is providing the midfield glue that came unstuck when Siale Piutau left. Moreover, Harding, Dun, Owen, Bates, Kloska and Worsley are young, skilful, and hungry players who are progressing at an insanely fast rate. Merry Christmas and bring on Sale!
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