Bristol Rugby

Club Details

The Memorial Stadium
Filton Avenue
Horfield
Bristol
BS7 0BF
 
Stadium Capacity: 12,000
Website: www.bristolrugby.co.uk
Founded: 1888

- 2006/7 Season Preview -

Last time around: Like Worcester before them, Bristol somehow managed to disproved Newton's law and stayed up whilst every wise man in the land was sure that they simply had to go down. True, an eleventh-placed finish is nothing to write home about, but they ended the term a full 13 points clear of Leeds Tykes. The West Country side also enjoyed their return to Europe, winning three of their six pool games in the Challenge Cup - not a bad return for novices.

This time? Having earned a foothold in the top-flight, Bristol have spent the close season plotting a tilt at the spoils. And why not? Last season's mission was survival and they did that with weeks to spare. If we were pressed to find fault in their efforts in 2005/06 it would be that they took their foot off the pedal after that goal was achieved; Bristol were actually sitting in eighth place when Leeds learned their fate on April 16. The club will have loftier goals this season, and some very astute signings should see them make a decent fist of their challenge. Europe, in the shape of the Challenge Cup, holds no fears either - Bayonne, Bucuresti and the Dragons are all imminently 'do-able'. Yet it remains to be seen how much more he can he get from a pack, half of which will be aged 34 or over by mid-September, and the club is duly the bookies' tip for relegation.

Coach: Former England scrum-half Richard Hill worked wonders last season. He is proving to be as canny an operation in the dug-out as he was on the field. His espousal of a 15-man game based on always keeping the ball alive wins plenty of admirers, but perhaps not enough games.

Captain: Flank Matt Salter returned from a year's exile at Leeds to lead the team on its return to the Premiership last season. He is an inspirational work-horse of a leader and is at home both on the flank or at No.8. The 29-year-old has become a crowd favourite at the Memorial Stadium for his robust style of play.

One to watch: The club has signed a trio of extremely talented New Zealanders with the help of Bristol CEO David White, the former Auckland boss. Neil Brew joins from the Highlanders whilst Sean Hohneck and David Hill arrive from the Chiefs. They will only join the Premiership action following the end of the Air New Zealand Cup but are sure to make a big impact on proceedings. The hard-running Brew, a NZ Maori cap, was a mainstay of the Highlanders' backline during the 2006 Super 14; cerebral Hill, an All Black back in 2001, won rave reviews for his orchestration of the Chiefs' backline; and industrious Sean Hohneck, at 6'8", should provide plenty of ballast in the engine room.

Final 2006/7 league position prediction: 12th
totalbet.com prediction (29/8): 100-1 to finish first 

In: Josh Taumalolo (Neath), Luke Arscott (Plymouth Albion), Craig Morgan (Cardiff Blues, Wales), Brian O'Riordan (Leinster, Ireland), Alfie To'oala, (Plymouth Albion), Justin Wring (Otley), Sean Hohneck (Waikato Chiefs, NZ), Walter Pozzebon (Benetton Treviso, Italy), David Hill (Waikato Chiefs, NZ), Neil Brew (Highlanders, NZ)

Out: Olly Kohn (NEC Harlequins), Ollie Hodge (Exeter Chiefs), Ross Blake (released), Jon Pritchard (released), Martin Rospide (released), Rory Teague (released), Sean Marsden (Glasgow Warriors), Jacob Rauluni (Leeds Tykes), Mark Denney (released).

Colours: Blue and white

Tickets: £8 - 22

Travel connections: Bristol Temple Meads is a major station stop for rail lines from all corners of the UK. The M4 motorway from West to East meets the M5 motorway from South-West to North just outside. Bristol also has an airport with some cheap connections to the rest of the UK.