Bristol Blues.
As another season in the Greene King IPA Championship draws to an end there’s a very familiar picture atop the summit, Bristol Rugby. The south-west outfit, coached by Andy Robinson, will take a third successive league title; regardless of the outcome of their final league match, and will make it five wins in their last seven campaigns in the Championship. However, despite this total dominance of the division, Bristol haven’t reached the dizzying heights of Premiership rugby since they were relegated seven years ago.
The reason is a simple one, Bristol are chokers, lulled into a false sense of security by the ease they walk the regular season. Unfortunately topping the table is only half the story, Bristol are then thrown into a playoff battle, of which they enter favourites only to buckle under the immense pressure, pressure that builds with every scuppered chance.
Last season was one of Bristol’s most impressive, 21 wins from 22, and 103 hundreds points amassed in total. Yet for all their endeavours they were beaten across two legs in the playoff final by Worcester, the difference a solitary point, 59-58. The Warriors scored last minute tries in both games as Bristol lost their nerve in the moments that matter the most.
So will this be the season the curse is lifted? Andy Robinson has certainly amassed a side worthy of the Aviva Premiership. Tom Varndell, Marc Jones, Will Cliff, David Lemi, Luke Arscott all line up alongside the talismanic Gavin Henson. The Welshman has found a new lease of life at Ashton Gate and leads the league’s points scored charts going into the final game of the regular season. Whilst Bristol’s top try scorer this year has been Olly Robinson, the coach’s son. The flanker signed from Moseley two years ago and has clearly been thriving under the leadership of his father outscoring his team mate and winger Tom Varndell.
Not only is the team as strong as it has been for a long time, but Bristol will also be encouraged by their season’s statistics. Although there is one game left, Bristol are set to top the wins, losses, points scored, points conceded and total points charts. Last season despite finishing top, they were outgunned by Worcester Warriors who scored almost 100 more points than them, and conceded around 50 less in the regulation 22 league fixtures. The year before that, London Welsh who were promoted courtesy of a playoff win against Bristol, conceded almost 150 less points across the 22 league games. The well known sporting cliché, ‘offense wins games, defence wins championships’ seems rather apt, and for the first time in awhile the Bristolians have this in their favour.
Bristol will be joined in the playoffs, by the Doncaster Knights, a side who have shocked many by going from ninth to second in just one season. The Knights hold the impressive record of being the most promoted side in the English tier system, and they will certainly fancy their chances against a team who seem incapable of moving on should they face off in the final. The newly re-named Yorkshire Carnegie, who have been in the top flight more recently than Bristol, and Bedford make up the final quartet.
It is the latter that Robinson’s side will have to face in both the semi-finals, and the last game of the regular season. In my opinion it is this first game that holds the key to either Bristol’s success or disappointment. Bedford are one of just two teams who have toppled Bristol this season, and another defeat at Goldington Road this Saturday could only heap more pressure on a side that have crumbled more times than they’d like to recall. A win is also needed as results of late have been far from comprehensive; it took a last minute Callum Sheedy penalty to sink lowly Moseley 24-22. Regardless of the result this weekend though, one thing is for sure, Bristol and Andy Robinson must take the fixture just as much as a match than as a learning curve for the fixtures that follow if promotion is to be clinched.
Will it be sixth time lucky for Bristol, or will it just be another playoff heartache? There can be no resting on laurels, and no celebration of topping the class if they’re to make it, there’s plenty of hard work still to be done. Although Bristol are favourites, they are by no means a sure thing, history tells you that, but of all the teams that can make the Premiership I think it’s Andy Robinson and co that will have the best chance of sticking around should they get there. You never know maybe if it takes you six attempts to go up, you get the same amount of goes at relegation…
Henry Justice
The reason is a simple one, Bristol are chokers, lulled into a false sense of security by the ease they walk the regular season. Unfortunately topping the table is only half the story, Bristol are then thrown into a playoff battle, of which they enter favourites only to buckle under the immense pressure, pressure that builds with every scuppered chance.
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| Bristol are led by Andy Robinson. |
Last season was one of Bristol’s most impressive, 21 wins from 22, and 103 hundreds points amassed in total. Yet for all their endeavours they were beaten across two legs in the playoff final by Worcester, the difference a solitary point, 59-58. The Warriors scored last minute tries in both games as Bristol lost their nerve in the moments that matter the most.
So will this be the season the curse is lifted? Andy Robinson has certainly amassed a side worthy of the Aviva Premiership. Tom Varndell, Marc Jones, Will Cliff, David Lemi, Luke Arscott all line up alongside the talismanic Gavin Henson. The Welshman has found a new lease of life at Ashton Gate and leads the league’s points scored charts going into the final game of the regular season. Whilst Bristol’s top try scorer this year has been Olly Robinson, the coach’s son. The flanker signed from Moseley two years ago and has clearly been thriving under the leadership of his father outscoring his team mate and winger Tom Varndell.
Not only is the team as strong as it has been for a long time, but Bristol will also be encouraged by their season’s statistics. Although there is one game left, Bristol are set to top the wins, losses, points scored, points conceded and total points charts. Last season despite finishing top, they were outgunned by Worcester Warriors who scored almost 100 more points than them, and conceded around 50 less in the regulation 22 league fixtures. The year before that, London Welsh who were promoted courtesy of a playoff win against Bristol, conceded almost 150 less points across the 22 league games. The well known sporting cliché, ‘offense wins games, defence wins championships’ seems rather apt, and for the first time in awhile the Bristolians have this in their favour.
Bristol will be joined in the playoffs, by the Doncaster Knights, a side who have shocked many by going from ninth to second in just one season. The Knights hold the impressive record of being the most promoted side in the English tier system, and they will certainly fancy their chances against a team who seem incapable of moving on should they face off in the final. The newly re-named Yorkshire Carnegie, who have been in the top flight more recently than Bristol, and Bedford make up the final quartet.
It is the latter that Robinson’s side will have to face in both the semi-finals, and the last game of the regular season. In my opinion it is this first game that holds the key to either Bristol’s success or disappointment. Bedford are one of just two teams who have toppled Bristol this season, and another defeat at Goldington Road this Saturday could only heap more pressure on a side that have crumbled more times than they’d like to recall. A win is also needed as results of late have been far from comprehensive; it took a last minute Callum Sheedy penalty to sink lowly Moseley 24-22. Regardless of the result this weekend though, one thing is for sure, Bristol and Andy Robinson must take the fixture just as much as a match than as a learning curve for the fixtures that follow if promotion is to be clinched.
Will it be sixth time lucky for Bristol, or will it just be another playoff heartache? There can be no resting on laurels, and no celebration of topping the class if they’re to make it, there’s plenty of hard work still to be done. Although Bristol are favourites, they are by no means a sure thing, history tells you that, but of all the teams that can make the Premiership I think it’s Andy Robinson and co that will have the best chance of sticking around should they get there. You never know maybe if it takes you six attempts to go up, you get the same amount of goes at relegation…
Henry Justice
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