Bears Beyond The Gate

We slip to a fifth defeat in a row at the Stone X but battle hard for a cheeky try bonus point which was the least we deserved. We may have scored a couple of worldies but we also shipped seven and if Owen Farrell had put his boots on the right way round it could have been a lot worse. We review the game with help from a few listeners and the Chair of the Supporters Club and then look forward to the Rifles Cup on Saturday which really, really, really is now a must, must, must win game. We also hear from Ed from the Cherry Jam pod who gives us his take on Gloucester’s similarly disappointing start to the seasons but also provides us some insight into their Women’s team who take on ours on Friday night. On that note we also review the Bears Women’s’ visit to Sandy Park this afternoon with help from yet another freelance roving fan reporter. We have tentacles everywhere! So strap in and listen to Lee, Miles and Pete as we climb on board the Bristol Bears rollercoaster yet again for a cheeky beer and a bit of rugby banter! Running order: 0:00 Intro banter 4:00 Listener tweets and roving reporter feedback from the Stone X 13:25 Our in-depth analysis! 32:47 Chat with Ed Price from the Cherry Jam pod 45:54 Our thoughts on the line-up for the Rifles Cup 56:47 Intro to the Bears Womens’ Game vs Exeter 59:33 Second roving reporter feedback from Sandy Park 1:01:13 Our thoughts on the game 1:08:19 Final thoughts on Bears abroad!

In this week's episode - our 150th - we chew over the agonising last ditch defeat at the Rec with help from our listeners and reflect on how we really need to start getting on the right side of 'fine margins' otherwise the season is going to slip away. That said, there were plenty of positives to take from the game and we pray that they might be somehow converted into points, cheeky or otherwise, at the Stone X stadium on Saturday. On that note we hear from Jez Denton from Saracens' Fezcast pod and spend a lively few minutes picking our team before broadly predicting a defeat. On a happier note we also review the Bristol Bears' Womens' victory over Sale Sharks Women and note what a fantastically family-esque atmosphere it was. With Miles and Pete and various kids in attendance you really do hear it from the horses' mouths. All this and more with Pete, Miles and Lee recording live from the Bristol Bear Factory Tap Room with a couple of pints of Milk Stout and a little bit of background noise from time to time. 0:00 Introduction and chit chat 4:30 Listener thoughts on the Bath game 9:57 Our thoughts on the Bath game 33:28 Jez from Fezcast 43:48 Our thoughts on the Saracens game 59:00 Review of the Bristol Bears Womens' game 1:07:09 Final thoughts

WARNING - THERE IS THE SOUND OF RAIN FALLING AT VARIOUS POINTS DURING THIS RECORDING BUT WE WERE TRYING SOMETHING NEW SO BE PATIENT WITH US! 😩 So, our unerring ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory continues with a second frustrating result in a week down at Sandy Park. To be fair it was a gritty performance at the place where both Sarries and Sale have recently been humbled and a hat trick of cross field kick tries for Rich Lane was a delight to behold but ultimately, we came away with a big fat zero. With only ten teams in the league can we really afford to be this profligate and why is that we continue to end up on the wrong side of the line when fine margins come into play. It happened last season and it’s starting to happen again. We discuss the game with the help from another roving fan reporter and then look forward to Sale’s visit on Saturday and ask is this our first must win of the season. We also mention the fantastic performances of the Bears Women for the Red Roses down under in the XV tournament and for once don’t even ‘allude’ to Miles’ Instagramming development. Join Pete, Lee and Miles for a cheeky beer and a bit of rugby banter.

So, the brief winning run is over thanks to a last gasp penalty for Quins at the death on Saturday. It was family day at the Gate but unfortunately the Bears were unable to keep all the kids happy with a mixed display that included some very good but also some frustratingly sloppy bad. Ultimately we were the architects of our own downfall and our decision making under pressure and sometimes not under pressure came back to haunt us. We look back at the game with help from our listeners again and discus the extent to which this was simply a blip after a bright start or rather something more terminal. A new look Exeter Chiefs away at Sandy park are up next and given that they have now scored a combined total of 108 points at home against both of last season's Premiership finalists, how worried should we be? We hear from Dave Flak from the Tribe Talking fan pod and offer our own predictions. Finally, we round up any other relevant talking points including the Bears Women, a charity match at Dings and competition from a new fan pod on the block! All this and more with Pete, Lee and Miles and a cheeky beer or two. Timings: 00:00: Intro chat chat 03:20: Listeners' thoughts 07:48: Our analysis of the game 28: 14: Dave Flak from Tribe Talking 38: 37: Our thoughts on the Exeter game 47: 20: Final round up of other Bears related stuff

It's the first time in three years that we have won away at Franklin’s Gardens although after going 18-9 down early in the second half it was great to see the boys ‘dig’ themselves out of a hole and ‘sow the seeds’ of a victory with a penalty and a converted try before the break ultimately making Miles ‘soil’ his pants at the death by efficiently managing the game out in the second half. We revel in this bonus point 33-27 victory and continue our strategy of involving our listeners in the pod by hearing from two roving fan reporters who sent us outside broadcasts from the game. This result leaves us second in the table with 9 points but we’re not getting too carried away as its early days and we still remember what happened last season after our good start. We also preview the visit of the fancy dan boys from SW London with help from our good friends at the Harlequins podcast and finish off by discussing some of the issues raised by Steve Lansdown in his Q&A last week as well as revealing the result of the annual BBTG paddle board derby and find out who has their hands on Kingsbridge Cup. Pete is joined by Lee and Miles for a cheeky beer and a bit of rugby banter.

Well, the waiting was over and after an extended pre-season the Premiership finally returned to Ashton Gate with the visit of Leicester Tigers. With both teams missing international players, it was an opportunity for new signings and squad players to impress, and impress they did, albeit mainly for Bristol. At 25-0 up and cruising some of us were wondering whether we were going to get that magical 80-minute performance in game day one. However, the second half was more of a battle but ultimately it was a very satisfactory win. We chat about the game and those players who made a good impression and introduce a new feature – contributions from some of our listeners - including the brief thoughts of our mate Binnsy. Next up is Saints away so we discuss how we think that one will go and what team we think we’ll be sending up to the East Midlands and we hear briefly from another friend of the pod – Northampton Echo’s Sports writer, Tom Vickers, as he gives us the lowdown on their game at Sale this afternoon and how they might set up against us next Saturday. Finally, we round up any other Bears-related news that we feel is worthy of discussion including the return of fireworks in front of the Dolman and our ongoing obsession with photographing people wearing robes at rugby…

In this week's episode we round up the Premiership Cup/pre-season campaign and reflect on the shellacking meted out to poor Cambridge who were universally challenged all over the park. It was great to see a tsunami of tries but we ultimately finished second in our group and therefore miss out on two more games and a chance of silverware later on in the season . Should we be disappointed that we didn't manage to progress or should we just be grateful for the various 'hit-outs' that it afforded us as we build to the start of the Premiership? On that note we preview the start of the League campaign against Leicester with a chat with our friends from the Rolling Maul pod and then ponder what sort of team we may put out and how likely we are to survive in the eye of the Tigers. We try to be optimistic but recognise its going to be a challenging night under the lights. Finally, the European shirt was 'launched' last week - quite literally - as the photo shoot appeared to take place inside of a huge balloon. We hear the thoughts of our resident fashion expert Miles, and wonder whether it was just a bit of marketing hot air or something more artistically fundamental. All this and more for your regular dose of Bears banter with Pete, Lee and Miles.

In this term’s opener we reveal some earth shattering news from the summer break but pull ourselves together and cast an eye over the pre-season so far. After welcoming the Baa Baas to Ashton Gate with a gift of 50 plus points, shipping even more down at Sandy Park with a team requiring parental permission to play, and then getting ‘edged out’ by Ealing Trailfinders the week after, we celebrate our own bit of edging with our thoughts on the last gasp victory over Northampton Saints at the weekend. Ultimately we all agree that it’ll probably be the first 20 minutes against Tigers that will really tell us how the season is likely to pan out despite an imminent visit up north to Donny and a home game against the mighty Cambridge in the Prem Cup to come. In other news, Southville’s very own answer to Gok Wan, Miles, (yes, I said Gok Wan) provides a granular review of the new kit/night wear and we finish off with a discussion about the positive moves afoot from the club to create more links with fans. The sound is a little bit screechy at times but we’re trialling a new sound recorder and editing process so be patient. It’s just good to be back talking rugby and supping beer. Up the Bears!

In our final episode of the season we discuss the bonus-point victory against Gloucester which wasn't quite enough to gain a Champions Cup place next year. In this bumper edition we look back at our highlights of the past year and chat about the impact some of our departing players have had on the club and the fans. We give our thoughts on the player of the year and who has improved the most. We then go through the retained list and give our thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of next season squad. All this and more in this final show for 22/23 with TC, Lee, Miles and Pete.

Feelings run high in BBTG Towers as the Bears fall to a 22-21 defeat away at Exeter despite playing with an extra man for 60 minutes. A high penalty count and some costly errors mean the Bears lose another winnable game and face a last-day battle for a Champions Cup place for next term. Hear our thoughts on the game, tactics and levels of commitment as Bristol came up just short yet again this season. We also look ahead to Gloucester's visit to the Gate on Coronation Day, discuss the Women's semi-final defeat to Exeter in the Allianz Cup and give our thoughts on the news that Iona Lloyd and Sam Jeffries are to depart at the end of the season. All this and more with Miles, Lee, Pete and TC.

It was Go Green night at Ashton Gate but fans we're left seeing red and feeling blue after tasting defeat yet again against Sale as the Sharks glided off with a 20-36 victory. Hear our thoughts about the tactics, performances and one or two other things that caught our eye on Friday night. We discuss the trip to Exeter for the penultimate game of the season and speculate on the Chiefs line up with their Champions Cup semi final the following weekend. Will they go big against Bris' or hold players back fro the European tie? There's also a Goat or two, plus much more in this episode with TC, Lee, Miles and Pete.

Welcome to this week's show where we discuss the 26-33 home defeat at the hands of Clermont. A couple of gift-wrapped tries in each half meant Bristol had too much to do to snatch a victory at the end. All in all, a disappointing end to our European campaign. We also discuss the nine players who have extended their contracts plus the two new arrivals for next season. Also hear our thoughts on next year's season ticket prices and the current loyalty scheme. All this and more with Tony, Lee and Pete.

Our four game winning streak came to an end on the road at Leicester but despite the 46-22 final score this was a game we could have won if we'd taken our chances and looked after our discipline. Hear our thoughts on the player performances, key moments and what it means for our league campaign. We then look ahead to the European Challenge Cup game at home to Clermont on Friday night. Hear our thoughts on team selections and Bristol's chances of making the quarter finals. All this and more with TC and Lee (cos the other two are up a mountain somewhere playing in the snow!).

It may have been a Sunday service, but there was nothing Godly about the rugby filth on show as Bristol backed up last week's big win with a another try fiesta to beat Harlequins 51-26. Memories of the 'Bristanbul' semi final defeat to Quins are starting to fade as Bristol completed the double on the fancy dans from South West London. Hear our thoughts on the game, player performances and what has happened to turn our team into contenders for a top half finish and perhaps even more. On the minus side we also discuss England's humiliation at home to France in the Six Nations and discuss the performances of Sinckler and Captain Genge. There's also the return of Gets My Goat, with not one but two things that have got us miffed this week. All this and more with TC, Lee, Miles and Pete.

Hell yeah. After a very long wait we finally got to see a full 80-minute performance from the Bears as they dismantled Northampton by nine tries to one. Hear our thoughts on the game, player performances and the sheer joy of Friday night after a long and fairly bleak winter. We'll also look ahead to the next game against Harlequins on Sunday and discuss the departures of Andy Uren and Sam Bedlow next season. All this and more with TC, Pete and Miles.

This week we talk about Bristol's 15-13 win against old rivals Bath at the Rec. In one of the scrappiest games of the season the Bears pulled of the win, despite a stuttering performance. Hear our thoughts on the game and the player performances. We also look forward to the next home game against the Saints with the help of Tom Vickers, Sports Writer for the Northampton Chronicle and Echo. There's also six contract signings to discuss and rumours that a British Lion might be crossing the border to join the Bears next season. All this and more with TC, Lee and Pete (Miles was missing in action!)

This week we talk about the long awaited 30-12 league win at home against Newcastle. After a 77-day break since the last home game in the Premiership, Bristol stepped up to grab a bonus-point victory with the last play of the game. Here our thoughts on the match, standout performances and what this means for the remaining campaign. On this show we are also joined by Bath Bytes for a preview of the game away at the Rec. Get the inside line on Bath's form and how the big derby game may go. All this and more with Tony, Lee, Miles and Pete.

In this week's show Pete and Lee chew over the last minute defeat against Saracens. How on earth did we manage to lose that one and what is it about the Bears and game management? More of a therapy session than an analytical deep dive the lads at least try to make some sort of sense of the nonsensical. Was it just 'one of those things' or symptomatic of wider malaise within the squad? On the positive side we balance it out a bit by celebrating some excellent individual performances, look forward to a 20% flash sale at the shop tomorrow and congratulate Abbie and Dave Ward on the announcement that their first child is on the way and speculate whether its worth putting a few bob on it become an England international. All this and a tiny bit more and it comes in at well under the hour for once!

A first half performance by Bristol which was full of brio warmed the cockles of the Ashton Gate faithful as a home tie in the Challenge Cup round of 16 was secured despite getting five points docked earlier in the week. After conceding an early try the Bears roared back with five unanswered dots over the whitewash with some sparkling back play built on the foundations of much improved discipline. The second half, however, was less impressive as Perpignan briefly threatened to spoil the show but eventually came up short despite Bristol scoring the square root of 'eff all in the second forty. The lads discuss a second game of two halves on the trot and consider what this means for the trip to the Stone X stadium to face Saracens in the Premiership next Saturday. They will certainly be depleted due to international call ups but their wolf pack mentality should never be underestimated. Can we go one step further than last year's thriller at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and bring back a much needed win or will the league leaders have the last laugh on their plastic pitch? We also discuss the success of last week's pot noodle discussion and introduce a new subject for debate. Dry robes at rugby. Unacceptable or an inevitable sign of the times? All this and more with Pete, Lee and Miles and a couple of cheeky beers.