PATRICK LAM, director of rugby at Bristol Bears, is one of the few Samoans who will great you in Irish.
One of the few Samoans who is intimately acquainted with any Celtic language, his facility with Irish came from his time as coach at Connacht.
“I loved living in Connacht,” he says.
“There’s a fantastic community spirit, and the old traditions are still there. It’s a slice of old Ireland — and I love the way the old language is still spoken. It’s a really special place.”
After his move to Bristol, Lam continued to travel back to Connacht to meet with friends and family — his son attended Galway University.
With Covid, those visits stopped, but he says: “I’ll be going back whenever I can. Whenever travel opens up again, I’ll be heading west.”
A former Samoan international and an All Black, Lam steered Connacht, then an unfashionable provincial side, to their first ever major trophy, the Pro12 title in 2016.
He was subsequently offered the job at Bristol in 2018, and arrived at the city, bringing with him from Connacht Conor McPhillips as assistant coach, and John Muldoon, his forwards coach.
Muldoon epitomises Connacht rugby, and has brought his total rugby ethos to Bristol.
Pat Lam, a former Samoan international and an All Black, steered Connacht to their first ever major trophy, the Pro12 title in 2016The Bears forwards are now one of the most formidable packs in England, with a scrum so steady they could send out for an Ocado order and have it delivered.
Lam also brought the winger Niyi Adeolokun from Connacht to the south-west of England.
Adeolokun made 94 appearances for Connacht and one appearance for Ireland.
He was a try scorer in the title-winning 2016 PRO12 final.
Born in Nigeria, Adeolokun came to Ireland with his family in 2001, aged 11, and began his playing days at full forward with Templeogue Synge Street Gaelic football club.
The Bristol Bears’ Irish contingent continues with Peter McCabe, from Kerry, Joe Joyce who has played for Ireland Under 20s, and the Leinster player Brian Byrne.
The Lam philosophy
“The three vital things we need, that anybody needs for success at any club, are the culture, the leadership and the game,” Lam says.
So what is the culture at the Bristol Bears’ home Ashton Gate?
“Love,” he replies, somewhat surprisingly.
Even more impressively, this is what he told his squad on arrival.
It probably helps to be a very tough, former All Black forward to announce to a roomful of hardened rugby pros that you want to promote an ethos of love.
But that’s what Lam did.
Now, to play for the All Blacks you not only need to be skilful — you have to be brave; so brave you’re probably certifiable.
So putting his own opinion forward is never going to be a problem.
Particularly when the plan works, even if the word ‘love’ is often used in a description of rugby.
An odd shotgun wedding between brute force, athleticism and artistry, maybe, but love is rarely mentioned.
But Lam has made sure his belief is adhered to.
Steven Luatua of Bristol Bears wins the lineout during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between London Irish and Bristol at Brentford Community Stadium on February 21, 2021“We have a culture now where everybody helps everybody else — at all levels of the club. And we have a collective vision. We have the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, everybody is sitting in the right place and the bus is going in the right direction.”
It’s probably no bad thing to have a couple of Connacht hard men nearby when you’re explaining your vision — men who know your working style and have seen it work in action.
Lam gets results, he loves his team; but you won’t get an easy ride if things go awry.
At the recent local derby between Bath and The Bears, Bath looked very good indeed: nice moves, lots of energy, a few really telling passes.
Then the match started. Bath were crushed 48-3.
Lam usually adopts a ‘not fully delighted’ attitude no matter how good the score.
After The Bears’ trouncing of Bath, he felt that the squad had somewhat taken their foot off the loud pedal in the second half.
You might say to him, come on Lam, dial it down a bit; the lads did well. If you think you’re hard enough.
Leadership means having clearly defined goals.
Bristol Bears won the European Rugby Challenge Cup 2019-2020 and are one of the top teams in the country.
But Pat Lam isn’t resting on his laurels. He probably lines up drop-kicks in his sleep.
“We have three objectives at Bristol: The Champions Cup — we want to be the best team in Europe. And we want home grown players on our team, players who have come through our system. Then we want them to become internationals.”
Luke Morahan of Bristol BearsThe Irish-Antipodean connection
Lam brought Jake Heenan to Bristol.
An All Black, he scrummed down for Connacht in 58 matches.
In Galway he worked as an ambassador with Dóchas don Óige, a community-based training service for troubled youths.
Luke Morahan, from Brisbane, came directly to the Bears from Australia.
But he immediately hit it off with Heenan, and as well as loving rugby, they developed a passion for Bristol and its burgeoning culinary scene.
They also had a deep interest in the cuisine from down under.
So they decided on a plan of action: they would open a café in the city.
Thus antipodean-themed café Burra was born.
Not only does it serve top-notch food, it maintains an ethical outlook.
“For a long time, Jake and I wanted to create a brand with a sustainable mindset – we feel as though Burra offers something different to the other incredible independent venues across the city,” Morahan told The Irish Post.
“We have plenty of plans for the site long-term, but at the moment it’s about establishing our reputation and building connections with our customers,” he added.
A decent cup of coffee is also high on the agenda for Burra.
“We take our coffee seriously and it’s been amazing since moving to Bristol seeing how the city shares and celebrates that coffee culture,” Morahan admits.
“For us, Burra is about giving something back to the city that has welcomed us, but also providing a fun environment which is healthy and sustainable.”
Since its launch in February, Burra has been operating as a takeaway-only site from its location Burra, 7 Lower Redland Road, BS6 6TB.
Follow the café’s journey on instagram at @burrabristol.
Jake Heenan and Luke Morahan outside their Bristol cafePROFILE: Pat Lam
Born: Patrick Lam in New Zealand to Samoan parents in 1968
International career: Represented and then captained Samoa at three World Cups, reaching the 1991 and 1995 quarter-finals — against expectations.
Lam represented New Zealand in 1992: he is All Black no. 928
In 2002 Lam turned out for the Barbarians. In his final international game before retiring, he captained the side to victory against Wales, scoring a try.
Club career: in New Zealand he represented Auckland, North Harbour and Crusaders, before moving to England. During his time with Newcastle Falcons they won the Premiership. Subsequently Lam joined Northampton Saints helping them to win the Heineken Cup. He then moved back to Newcastle Falcons for the final year of his playing career.
Coaching career: Assistant Coach to Scotland’s international side
Head Coach at Auckland Blues
Head Coach at Connacht Rugby
See More: Bristol Bears, Burra, Connacht, Pat Lam
