PAT LAM promises that Bristol Bears will possess the superhuman skills of Michael Jordan when they return to the rugby pitch.
Boss Lam has been watching basketball legend Jordan’s The Last Dance documentary on Netflix.
And he reckons his Premiership-chasing side can be like MJ and the Chicago Bulls who dominated the NBA in the ’90s — even though Lam’s stars have been in lockdown for ten weeks during the Covid-19 crisis.
Lam (right) said: “There is no excuse at all to come back and find your skills are rusty because you have had all this time, which is what you need — as Michael Jordan demonstrated on Last Dance.
“I couldn’t have thought of a better series for them to put on TV. It has just lifted everybody, in realising, ‘OK, I have got to go to that level’.
“I am so excited to see the boys’ skills because skills need time and prep — and they have got time. I am expecting better lineout throwers, better goal-kickers, better passers.
“And they are sending me in videos to show me what they are doing.”
With £1million man Charles Piutau on board, as well as Kyle Sinckler and Semi Radradra joining on July 1, it is looking good for the third-placed Bears.
And the latest intriguing signing was confirmed yesterday with Hull FC’s rugby league winger Ratu Naulago, 28, agreeing to switch codes and link up with Lam’s outfit.
Bristol have also put their Ashton Gate home forward to host the final nine rounds of Prem games, with the league believing that using ONE club’s facilities is the best option.
And while Sale Sharks have jumped the gun by returning to training, Bristol and everyone else are sitting tight until they are told by league chiefs they can go ahead.
Lam reckons his side could be fit enough to get going again after four weeks.
He added: “It would be similar to football — small groups and maintaining social distancing.
“One plan is a one-way system — the guys would be scheduled at a certain time — five guys, come in for an hour, changed and ready to go — keeping their distance led by the strength and conditioning coaches or physios.
“As coaches we are prepared for whether they stay two metres apart — if they all have a rugby ball, whether they are allowed to pass to each other.
“We have a variation of drills depending on that.
“There might be five guys who live together — they might work with us for 20 minutes then move to the next field for conditioning.
“Then they move to the far side of the building to jump in their cars and head off, while the next guys come in and wipe down all the equipment.
“There are about eight different variations, building up to everyone coming back to training.
“I am proud of our guys — they talked to different sports and looked at the Government medical advice and brought it together in a document.
“We are ready to go but we won’t go until we are given permission.”