Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Bristol Bears aiming high after summer of marquee signings – ‘Our goal is to win it’

The arrival of some marquee signings has got Bristol Bears believing that they can challenge at the very top in the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership Rugby season.

Ashton Gate will host the curtain-raising fixture of the new campaign on Friday night when Bristol host Leicester Tigers, .

Pat Lam’s side will be hoping to make a fast start in front of their home support and inject optimism about the campaign ahead after last term’s disappointing ninth-place finish.

With the Rugby World Cup still at the quarter-final stage over in France, domestic action begins in the absence of many international stars.

The overlap of the tournaments, a big summer of recruitment across the top tier and a reduction of the Premiership to a 10-team league following the expulsion of Worcester, Wasps and London Irish, make the coming season one of the hardest to call in recent memory.

For Bristol, a return to the upper echelons of the league table would be a welcome change.

The Bears finished top of the standings in 2020/21, only for their hopes of a league crown to end in the play-off semi-finals against Harlequins.

In the two years since, Bristol have finished 10th and ninth, but that hasn’t stopped Lam from aiming big this time around.

“Every coach wants to win. Every team wants to win,” said the Bears Director of Rugby.

“The beauty of the Premiership is that everyone can win this thing. Some teams more than others because they have the experience of winning it.

“Our goal is to win it, but the reason this competition is so good is that it’s hard to win it.”

Bristol lost two of their most influential players at the end of last season, Semi Radradra and Charles Piutau.

However, the pair’s loss has been made up for with an eye-catching few months of recruitment.

French star centre Virimi Vakatawa has joined after an expert panel of cardiologists cleared him to return to competitive action a year on from his early retirement due to a heart condition.

Vakatawa could make his debut from the bench against Leicester on Friday, while former London Irish man Benhard Janse van Rensburg will line up at outside centre from the start.

Another addition to the backline is England international Max Malins, who spent 2020/21 on loan at Ashton Gate, but the 26-year-old is currently away on World Cup duty.

“Virimi Vakatawa, we all know about him, coming in just this week, it’s been huge,” Lam said.

“Benhard Janse van Rensburg too. We always struggled with him and now I know why. He’s so coachable, such a good worker. All the things we want our players to be. He’s a great role model.

“Max Malins coming back is fantastic. He thoroughly enjoyed his time here and he really wants to play full-back.”

Asked if that’s where he sees Malins playing, Lam said: “Yes, 100%. I think he’s going to be one of the best full-backs in the country.

“He just needs to play there regularly because his anticipation skills are unreal. I didn’t realise how good he was until he played for us.

“I think right through we’re happy with what we’ve been able to replace the guys who have gone with.”

If Bristol are going to reach Lam’s lofty ambition of winning the Premiership title this season, they will have to learn to close out games better.

That is according to the director of rugby himself, who identified the end of matches last season as an area requiring improvement.

“Style is important, but ultimately, the No. 1 thing that counts is the win,” Lam said.

“When we look at last year, we lost four games in the last three or four minutes. Those four games would have got us into the top four.

“I believe that we’re in an industry that needs to entertain, that you can win playing entertaining rugby.”

Coverage starts at 19:00 UK time and kick-off at Ashton Gate is at 19:45.