Premiership 'needs' entertaining, high-scoring rugby

Gloucester and Bristol Bears treated the capacity crowd at Kingsholm to 13 tries in their Premiership derby match

High-scoring, high-entertainment running rugby is just what the Premiership "needs", according to Gloucester and Bristol after they shared 81 points and 13 tries at Kingsholm on Saturday.

Gloucester ran rampant in the West Country derby, scoring nine tries in a 53-28 win over the Bears.

Some have questioned if the quest for attacking flair is coming at a detriment to defence, but Bristol director of rugby of rugby Pat Lam said the style is bringing more fans to the game.

"I think you've just got to look at the Bristol crowd [against Exeter Chiefs] last week, the Gloucester crowd [on Saturday]," he told BBC Sport.

"They enjoyed the rugby, we're enjoying rugby. I'm pretty sure everyone's talking about these caterpillars [rucks], these box[-kicking] fests.

"The purists might not like it but it's not about the purists. It's about the young people, it's about people enjoying coming to games."

The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at Gloucester, and Lam added that attracting new fans is important for the future of the game.

"We sold out here, we had our second biggest crowd last week, our game against Bath [at the Principality Stadium in May], the crowd's building there," he said.

"People want to be entertained. Our game needs people coming to rugby. I'm pretty confident that Gloucester are going to continue selling out because they're playing great rugby.

"You're always going to get people complaining, but I would look more at the positives where people are loving and enjoying it – particularly the kids, that's what I like because that's our future."

Bristol and Gloucester have scored the second and third most points in the league this season

Lam said in the week before the match that the contest had the potential to be "one of the best" with two of the Premiership's most potent attacking sides meeting.

Bristol under Lam have long been known as a team based around slick backline runners - they have surpassed 50 points themselves in six games so far this campaign.

But under attack coach James Lightfoot Brown, Gloucester have this season followed a similar style, and to great effect.

Both sides occupy many of the top places in the league's stats for metres made, line breaks per game, and offloads.

With points totals of 470 (Bristol) and 397 (Gloucester), only league leaders Bath have scored more (487) this season. However, only bottom side Newcastle Falcons have conceded more than their 415 (Bristol) and 358 (Gloucester) totals.

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said it is not a case of defensive play being ignored, simply that attacks are getting better.

"There's no doubt it's entertaining, and in a game like [Saturday,] which was physical and no-one threw the towel in in defence – people are trying to defend," he said.

"I think attacks have just gone to another level and people are investing time in it. It's not a case of defence is disappearing, it's a case of attacks are really challenging defences."

'Too many people are negative around our sport'

In recent seasons the Premiership has been beset by off-the-field financial issues with Worcester, Wasps and London Irish all folding, and attendances initially struggling to return following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Skivington agreed with Lam that a positive view of the Premiership can only be a good thing.

"I think it's just good to talk positively around the game," he added.

"Too many people are negative around our sport as it is. I think everyone playing rugby, scoring tries, younger generations coming in, that's going to entertain them, they're going to enjoy it.

"For the purists, we'll stick a few mauling scrums in – they've got to stay as well, that's important.

"If you want new crowds, if you want younger crowds, if you want the game to carry on, this sort of rugby and everyone being positive is important."