Bristol Rugby.
A brief history of Bristol.
Bristol Rugby Football Club was formed in 1888 when the
ambitious Carlton Rugby Club invited rival clubs, Redland Park and Westbury
Park, to join in forming a representative city team. Westbury initially decided
against the merger, although after they folded a few years later many of their
players ended up at Bristol anyway.
Bris’ had a mixed start to life in the rugby family, but
under the guidance of their charismatic captain, W. Tommy Thomson, a corner was
turned and in 1891/92, wearing the familiar navy and white hooped shirts, the
Bristol team won twenty games out of twenty four, thus becoming an established
club.
By the turn of the century the biggest clubs from England
and Wales were regular visitors, and it was around this time that they signed
James "Darkie" Peters. Peters was the first black player to represent
England. An outside half, he made 35 appearances for Bristol from 1900 to 1902,
scoring twelve tries.
The club was mothballed during the First World War, but
after the war a Bristol United side was formed to provide rugby for returning
servicemen. This led to the rebirth of Bristol Rugby in 1919. Their home at the
County Ground was no longer available for games so the Club rented a field at
Radnor Road, Horfield, although occasional matches were staged at Bristol City
and Bristol Rovers football grounds. Radnor Road was only ever going to be a
temporary home, so in 1921 the Memorial Ground was opened. This venue,
dedicated as a memorial to local rugby players who fell in the war, has been
the Club's home ever since.
In what has been termed 'The Blake Era', outside-half
John Blake became captain in 1957 and under his inspirational leadership the
club which was developing an entertaining running style of rugby, involving
backs and forwards, began to set the standards. This fast fluid formula was
years ahead of its time. The Bristol club set and broke records for wins in a
season and points scored, with goal kicking forward Gordon Cripps rewriting the
individual points scoring records.
The club hit a phenomenal high in 1965/66 when 39 games
were won, and again in 1971/72 (which was the Club's best ever season), with a
thousand points being scored for the first time, and the team being crowned
unofficial English and English-Welsh champions. The seventies were halcyon days
with many players representing England, and this continued into the following
decade when they beat Leicester to win the John Player Cup in 1983.
Bristol adapted poorly to the new league rugby structure,
as the administrators of the club failed to get a handle on the professional
era. In 1998 relegation was the least of their worries as only benefactor
Malcolm Pearce saved the club from financial ruin. Despite this uncertainty the
club bounced straight back to the top flight at the first attempt, after an
impressive season where virtually a whole side made debuts during the campaign.
Head coach Bob Dwyer assembled a fine side for their
Premiership campaign, which despite World Cup disruption (where Bris' had seven
representatives), they finished a more than successful season in sixth place,
narrowly missing the European Cup places, as well as semi-finals of the
Tetley’s Bitter Cup where they lost to eventual winners Wasps.
A strong Argentine influence was growing at the club,
with new signing Felipe Contepomi joining the already established Agustin Pichot
and Eduardo Simone. Despite a slow start, ten games undefeated including wins
over the champions Leicester followed. Ninth place was respectable and growing
attendances showed the playing style of the club was improving also.
Before the start of the 2001/02 season, changes that were
to put the club on a new level were put in place. The Club had a new name,
Bristol Shoguns, thanks to a record breaking sponsorship package with giants
Mitsubishi. The team also saw the arrival of some of the game's most promising
talent, along with experienced internationals such as Julian White and double
world cup winning centre, Jason Little being brought in.
Despite a mixed start, the Memorial Stadium witnessed
some breath-taking rugby during the second half of the season. With the Shoguns
finishing the season with the most bonus points in the Premiership, three
players in the top try scorers chart, a place at Twickenham in the final of the
Zurich Championship, and also a place in the Heineken Cup for the following
season.
Unfortunately the bubble burst as stars such as Dean Ryan
left the club, Little retired and DoR Jack Rowell returned to Bath. Pearce
withdrew his funding, despite the lucrative sponsorship deals put in place the
previous year. The club now stared down the barrel of extinction for the second
time. With a squad comprised mostly of under 21 players the club was saved, but
relegation followed. Life in the second tier began under the guidance of former
England great Richard Hill, winning promotion back to the Premiership in
2004/05.
Surviving their first season back in 11th place, the
2006/07 season had Bris' tipped for relegation. They surpassed all expectations
by finishing in an extraordinary third place, losing in the semi-final of the
play-offs to Leicester. Sadly this was to prove a one-off as a lack of funding,
and difficulties mainly off the field, due to renovations of the Memorial
Field, led to another relegation in 2008/09.
Back in the second tier, the following season they again
topped the regular season table, but this time had to negotiate a somewhat
bizarre eight team play-off for promotion. Despite not always playing well,
they negotiated themselves to a two legged final with Exeter Chiefs, who put
Bristol to the sword winning by a convincing 22 points on aggregate. The
following season, whilst much was expected, failed to bear fruit. An
indifferent start led to a poor season, which saw them escape the relegation play-offs
by only three points. Despite this poor return they still made the promotion
play-offs, but this time winning only once. Last season saw them bounce back in
fine style once again, sitting proudly on top of the regular season table for
the second time in three seasons, and topping their play-off group unbeaten.
However, a crazy 14 minute period in a 45-24 defeat in the semi-final first leg
when they shipped 28 points (against Cornish Pirates) meant that a 29-18 home
win was to see them fail once again, as London Welsh who finished 14 points
behind in the regular season, and below them in their play-off group were
promoted.
Bristol in 2012/13.
The best supported club in the division in terms of
numbers, they average over 1400 more than any other team, well over double
Jersey’s average in this rugby hot bed. Steve Lansdown now owns the club and
has announced they will soon share homes with Bristol City FC, either at their
current ground, or new stadium to be built. The signing of Premiership players
and the drive to attain more is a clear indication that Bris’ are thinking very
much for a return to the top flight, be it this season or next. Changes in the
promotion structure have been put into place for this season, much driven by
the Bristol hierarchy, and this has seen the Bristol side recover from a slow
start to be entering what would seem to be promotion challenging form. Former
Head Coach Liam Middleton made it no secret that he had a plan in place, perhaps
looking at the London Welsh model when they peaked at the end of the season.
The early season home win over Jersey would appear to be the defining moment of
the season, although the signing of former England and Scotland head coach Andy
Robinson (who initially joined as the Director of Rugby) cannot be ignored.
Prior to the Jersey game the Bristolians had lost five and won only three of
their first eight games, but a six try haul against the Reds (who were down to
14 men for most of the second half) began a sequence that saw them race up the
table, losing only once in the following eight, before in-form Nottingham won
narrowly.
The British and Irish cup also appears to have been taken
seriously, fielding strong sides in winning all six pool matches, rewarding
them with a home quarter final against the winners of Jersey’s pool, Leinster.
The Moseley defeat last week however, cost Middleton his job, with Robinson
taking over, and it remains to be seen what effect this will have on the West
Country side. A play-off place seems well within their grasp, especially
looking at their upcoming fixtures, which whilst always tricky in this league,
most seem winnable. Bris’ away form of three wins and five defeats would
suggest that Jersey could sneak some points from this game, especially after
Bris’ defeat at fellow strugglers Moseley and our own performance last week
versus Nottingham. There is now real belief both on and off the pitch that
Jersey can and will survive. A lot of hard work needs to be put in before then,
but in this, the penultimate home game, a point’s return would be a hammer blow
to Doncaster who are currently six points adrift.
Bristol, who to look out
for:
Rhys Lawrence.
Hooker.
Twenty fours year
old, English born, raised in Swansea, Lawrence signed from Llanelli RFC
and the Scarlets. In 2008 he won six Welsh under 20 caps, including a Man of
the Match against Ireland during the Six Nations. He appeared in the first
U20's World Championship in 2008 hosted in Wales, playing in three pool games before
injury ended his tournament in the game against France. In his second season
with Bristol, and with three tries this season he has already matched last season’s
tally. He has a solid set piece along with dynamic carrying with some good
touches in attack. More-so he has regularly been a top defender. Popular with
the home support, is work rate around the rucks cannot be underestimated.
Scrum Half.
Tipuna, born in New Zealand, previously played for the
Bay of Plenty Steamers and Wellington (where he played against the 2005 British
and Irish Lions). He also pulled on the shirt for the Hurricanes and in Wales
for the Scarlets. A vastly experienced number nine, Tipuna has also represented
arguably the best sevens team, New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori teams,
having captained the All Blacks all the way through the junior ranks. In August
2011, Tipanu joined the Scarlets on a short term contract, before joining
Bristol Rugby in November of the same year. He immediately became first choice
scrum-half at Bristol, making twenty appearances. Sharp around the fringes, he
will cause any opposition no end of problems.
Jack Gadd.
Centre.
At 6 feet one and 108kg, Gadd was with the Bristol
Academy for the last few seasons, having joined the club in 2009. He has represented
Wales at U18 and U20’s level, playing a key role in Wales’ U20’s 2011 Six
Nations campaign. Gadd made one appearance during the 2011/12 season, featuring
against Ayr in the British and Irish Cup before requiring two operations last summer to correct a hip condition he has
had since birth. But after
a year of recovery he has now been first choice for the former manager this
season, impressing as one of
the ‘young guns’ in the Bristol side, having taken his opportunity due to early
season injuries to previous first choice players.
George Watkins.
Winger.
Another home-grown talent, Watkins has just signed a new
contract having made 80 appearances already in his short career. Born in 1990,
Watkins enjoyed a hugely successful 2011/12 campaign, cementing his place in
the first team with a series of impressive displays having joined the Bristol
Academy in 2009.Watkins made 26 appearances for the Club last season, finishing
as top scorer with 13 tries. With nine tries to his name this season (six in
the league), he is the clubs top scorer once again, and quite astonishingly he
is fourth highest overall for Bristol in competitive games with 39, and quite
clearly has a bright future ahead of him.
Scrum Half.
Born in 1980, captain Grindal has been
capped by England at Under-21 level. He attended King Henry VIII School in
Coventry where he partnered England international Andy Goode, who he was later
to partner again at Leicester some years later. Grindal initially joined
Coventry but before long he was off to Leicester Tigers where he made his
first-team debut aged just 19. He could not quite cement his place in the first
team only making 21 appearances in his three years he was at the club. This
prompted Grindal to move to another Premiership club, Newcastle, where he made
106 first-team appearances, many partnered with World Cup winner Jonny
Wilkinson. He was called into the England Saxons side that defeated Ireland in 2008.
On 25 June 2009 it was confirmed that he would return to Leicester, before
joining Bristol at the end of the 2011/12 season. With three Premiership
titles, two Heineken cups and a Powergen cup, Grindal has the wealth of
experience needed to gel Bristol’s young side together.
Fly half.
Prolific point’s scorer Roberts, has represented both the England Students and
the England Counties XV. He was selected to play in the same RFU representative
side as our own Nathan Hannay earlier this season. Originally at Bristol, he
moved first to Cinderford before signing for Premiership side Gloucester.
Whilst there he duel-registered with Doncaster, and for Moseley, where he was
the RFU's leading points scorer in 2009/10 despite Mose finishing only eighth,
also helping them to win the National Trophy in 2009. Resigning for Bris’ in
2011, he notched 245 points last term in his 23 appearances. With an exciting
running game to add to his kicking prowess, he is definitely a danger man.
