Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam reflected on “a wonderful occasion” after his team remained firmly in Gallagher Premiership play-off contention with a 36-14 victory over local rivals Bath at the Principality Stadium.
The Premiership’s first game in Wales attracted a crowd of 51,095, with a fixture Bristol billed as the club’s ‘Big Day Out’ not disappointing under a closed roof.
“It was a wonderful occasion. Both sets of fans came out in numbers,” Lam said.
“I have had the privilege to play in this stadium, and the boys are buzzing. It is an experience they won’t forget.”
Bristol’s bonus-point win took them third ahead of next Friday’s crunch away clash against play-off rivals Sale Sharks.
And Lam added: “Finals rugby has come early for ourselves, Leicester, Sale, Saracens, Gloucester and potentially Harlequins. We are all playing finals rugby every week.
“We have set up a shoot-out with Sale on Friday night. It is a massive game, and we are going to have to recover and reset well.
“One of my highlights of last season was winning at Sale. I know how tough that is. They are on great form, which is why our recovery this week is so important.
“It is going to be a phenomenal game. It is a Test match for both teams.”
Bristol prevailed despite collecting four yellow cards and twice being temporarily reduced to 13 players as discipline frequently let them down.
“The senior players have addressed it,” Lam said. “They said we are happy with the win, we are happy we have beaten Bath, we are happy with the five points, but we have got to stop giving away things for free.
“Discipline has been a problem in a lot of our losses. It doesn’t help, so the players have already taken charge of that.”
While a much-changed Bath – head of rugby Johann Van Graan made 13 changes following a European Challenge Cup semi-final victory over Edinburgh with his team already assured of Premiership top spot – battled hard, they came up short.
Gabriel Ibitoye, Rich Lane, Fitz Harding, Gabriel Oghre, Will Capon and Viliame Mata scored Bristol’s tries, with AJ MacGinty kicking three conversions, while Ciaran Donoghue and Ewan Richards touched down for Bath, both converted by Donoghue.
Bath, guaranteed a home play-off, face remaining Premiership fixtures against Leicester and Saracens that sandwiches a Challenge Cup final appointment with Lyon back at the Principality Stadium on May 23.
Van Graan said: “The occasion was magnificent, and credit to Bristol. It was a Test match environment today.
“In terms of our team, we loved the build-up and it felt like a Test match, a really big game of rugby.
“We left a few opportunities out there, and we could have capitalised better when they were down to 13 men, but I am immensely proud of the guys.”
PA
