Bristol head coach Pat Lam prior to the pre-season friendly match against Connacht. Photo/Getty Images
Bristol head coach Pat Lam is taking a leaf out of Real Madrid's book in his bid to take the West Country club back to the top of the English game.
Former Blues and Manu Samoa coach Lam arrived at Ashton Gate this summer after the club had been relegated
back into the Greene King Championship. With the booby trap of the playoff system removed, Bristol, who open their campaign against part-timers Hartpury College on Sunday, are 4-11 favourites to bounce back at the first time of asking.
Already, Lam's sights are set higher on Champions Cup qualification and beyond. To that end, All Black flanker Steven Luatua and Ireland fly-half Ian Madigan have been signed, with former All Black Charles Piutau arriving next season to become English rugby's highest-paid player.
Yet their recruitment is part of a two-pronged strategy - recruit superstars and promote homegrown youngsters - that recalls former Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez's "Zidanes y Pavones" policy during the club's Galactico phase.
"Everyone knows that Bristol are a sleeping giant, but the one thing that the club was missing is a vision," Lam said. "Speaking to the board, we agreed a vision that is now shared by everyone at the organisation.
