Pat Lam has revealed Bristol Bears will have a completely revamped pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 campaign after admitting mistakes were made this season.
After a highly disappointing season, going from finishing top of the table in 2020/21 to 10th in 2021/22, Bristol’s director of rugby accepts that his side came into the current Premiership season undercooked.
Having gone through a club-wide review in recent weeks, Lam confirmed the Bears will play three competitive, public, pre-season games in the summer, facing Top 14 side Brive in France first before back-to-back Friday night games away at United Rugby Championship sides the Dragons followed by the Scarlets.
The Gallagher Premiership season will then kick off on the weekend of September 9.
READ MORE: Pat Lam still open to strengthening his squad as Bristol Bears look short of experience at tighthead
Lam said: “I have started with myself looking at everything we have done.
“We always say we learn more from losing than winning, and it is true. Adversity reveals so much as well.
“Straight away our pre-season is locked and loaded.
“We have got a good break planned for everybody, we are back in on the fourth of July.
“We have got three big pre-season games lined up already to get ready for the season.
“That was probably an issue from last season because we didn’t hit the ground running compared to previous seasons.
“That is just one example of a change we are making.”
Last season Bristol played one internal 15v15 game and a behind closed doors match with Hartpury before starting the league season with back-to-back defeats to Saracens and Wasps, then earning a fortunate derby victory at home to Bath, only to lose against Harlequins and Falcons to have a record of 1-4 after the first five rounds.
Lam explained how he has been tapping into the expertise of his coaching staff to come up with a new blueprint of how to prepare the side for next season.
“When the players had a week off last month the coaches had a great workshop looking at where we are at and areas to improve,” Lam said.
"I made them all head coaches and asked them to plan the pre-season and do a presentation themselves and all of them were slightly different but they all had some great stuff.
“It has been an outstanding time for us to reflect, regroup and I am excited about what we are going to put in place going forward.”
