Bristol Bears Head Coach Pat Lam may be on his way out of Ashton Gate, with rumours circulating on his departure come the end of the season.
There is speculation around the New Zealander’s future at the club, with Bristol recording just three wins in 12 Premiership matches this campaign.
As reported by The Rugby Paper, Lam is under contract until 2028, however former Wasps Head Coach Lee Blackett could be brought in as Lam’s replacement ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The Rugby Paper reported that there are senior Bristol Bears players who are not happy with the current senior coaching staff, with Blackett’s name popping up for discussions for the club’s future.
Adressing the reports, Lam said: “I will be 55 soon and one thing you learn with experience in this job is that of course there is always pressure. We are in a performance industry.”
He added: “I never worry when everyone says ‘You are great,’ ‘Coach of the Year,’ ‘You should be doing this, you should be doing that.’ It is like white noise.
“When you win, everyone loves you, when you lose everyone gets on your back, so I am not worried about.
“I have a very strong relationship with Steve [Lansdown] and the board.
“Everyone sees what happens on the field, and of course we all know we are underperforming, but there are still eight games to go and I am very confident we will come home strong.”
“But I think the big thing is I don’t waste too much of my energy on that stuff [rumours]. Honestly.”
PAT LAM DREAM TEAM:
BACK-THREE:
Fullback: Shane Howarth: “Someone I played with early in my career, he somehow came back from a broken neck to be an international player for Wales.”
Winger: Eric Rush: “Best finisher I’ve seen in the game. He would bring a lot of humour to the group too.”
Winger: Jonah Lomu: “Lomu has to be in. He was a larger than life character and we all know what he was like on the field.”
CENTRE:
Outside-centre: Va’aiga Tuigamala: “Scary. He was tough as nails.”
Inside-centre: Frank Bunce: “A great character and a wonderful rugby player.”