It wasn’t the Guy Fawkes-style explosion we were hoping for at a blustery, windswept Ashton Gate but a performance full of grit and determination that bodes well going into the next phase of matches.
There is no doubt lessons have been learned from our poor start to the season, the way the squad as a whole have knuckled down and worked hard to rectify mistakes is commendable and even if it hasn’t all clicked into place quite yet, there is fast becoming a hard-nosed edge developing in what has been Pat Lams first real prolonged test of adversity since he came to Bristol.
Worcester came to stifle and frustrate but Bears were intent on stopping that from happening. After a tepid and largely forgettable first half-hour, the game exploded into life with two quickfire tries, the first from the ever-improving Toby Fricker, followed just minutes later by Sam Jeffries.
It was particularly pleasing to see Jeffries get his name on the scoresheet, after two horrible injury-filled years on the sidelines.
The mental strength necessary to come back from that type of adversity can never be underestimated and the way he sprinted over the whitewash is testimony to his strength of character and athleticism. He embodies the Bears spirit and has been like a new signing for us.
On the subject of new signings, what an addition Tom Whiteley has been, his quick thinking and speed of pass will be invaluable and would have had Lam purring in the stand. Also pleasing was the way we kept plugging away to finally seal the bonus point win when Fricker touched down on 72 minutes.
Callum Sheedy’s kicking was on point too, along with a few others, he has had to endure a fair amount of vitriol in recent weeks and I wasn’t surprised when he deleted his social media account.
Some of the comments I have read about him recently have been nothing short of abysmal and a few of our so-called supporters should be ashamed of themselves.
These are the times the players need true fans to get behind them to give them the support and confidence to get through these tough spells, after all, form is temporary class is permanent. Up The Bears!
