Opposition view: Lam so proud of Bears after huge win against Saints
Pat Lam expressed his pride in his players after Bristol Bears bagged a 46-12 win against Saints on Saturday evening.
After Edoardo Todaro was shown a 20-minute red card inside the opening minute of the match, the Bears showed their bite, scoring three tries during that period.
They racked up an eye-watering 35-0 advantage by the break, and though Saints tried to respond in the second period, Bristol cruised home.
It was a key bonus-point win for the Bears, while Saints, who had gone into the game sitting joint top of the table, suffered their first defeat of the Gallagher PREM season.
“I’m really proud of the boys as we fought for everything, with the first half being brilliant," Bristol boss Lam said.
“I’m a bit miffed we didn’t win the second half as we started it badly by conceding two early penalties and that gave them an early opportunity to get on the scoreboard.
“Another penalty against us resulted in another try and they looked on for a bonus point, but we managed the last 20 minutes really well.
“As a result, we got the outcome we wanted: five points against the top-of-the-table side and them leaving with nothing.”