PAT LAM is making sure that Bristol hit the ground running next season by arranging three warm-up matches, admitting they went into the current campaign short of a gallop.
The Bears lost their opening Premiership match at home to Saracens and were then heavily beaten at Wasps. It set the tone for a season which never got going and they finished 10th in the Premiership, failing to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup.