sport news Pat Lam thrives in Bear pit: Bristol revival spurs on former Samoa ace

In Pat Lam's office at Clifton RFC - where Bristol Bears are based for now - on the wall next to the door are several small maps in a frame.

Two show the areas around Auckland, one the islands of Samoa, another North Harbour, next Christchurch, then Newcastle, Northampton, Galway and Bristol.

The piece was a gift for his 50th birthday last September - Lam's life in locations.

The Bristol boss likes communities, having come from a typically large Samoan family, and two years into getting his paws dirty out West feels embedded in this one.

'I've seen all the Banksy art-work!' Lam smiles.

'Stokes Croft is awesome. I even had a Caribbean meal! I like going there, speaking to people behind the counters.

'The variety is huge in Bristol. It was voted recently as the best place to live in the UK based on opportunities, lifestyle, culture, arts.

'Hopefully what we're doing with Bristol City, Rovers and the Flyers is making sport a big part of that.

'I get a lot of support from Bristolians around the world - that's the impact we can have around the world.

'With the team when I ask "who's a Bristolian?" not many put their hand up, but when I ask "who feels they belong to this community," mate, everyone puts their hand up.' Some coaches would count the pound coins - 650,000-a-year for Lam - give the Premiership a pop and if they failed, pack it in.

But it seems this one, while attempting to awaken a sleeping rugby giant in Bristol who were out of the top-flight for eight of the last 10 seasons, is not just trying to build a rugby team, but another community.

Lam wants becoming a Bristol Bear to go from a job to a 'calling'. He has called Bath's Dave Attwood home for next season, and the club will help the lock become a barrister in town.

'My culture is all about family,' Lam tells Sportsmail.

'But I think team sport is a family within a family.

'In the old days before you got paid you always had the pride of your school, club, county, province, country.

'Professionalism comes in and everyone moves around.

'How am I going to get the feeling of playing for my team if I'm not originally from here? Easy. Get to know the people, what it means to these people.. I realised that when coaching Auckland.

'Auckland and Canterbury - there's not a lot of love lost - it's like Manchester and Liverpool.

'If a player from Canterbury came up to Auckland, I'd get them to meet people - they don't see you as from Canterbury, but as an Auckland player.

'Here they don't see you're from Samoa, Australia or London, they say "he plays for the Bears".

'If you bring that sense of belonging and purpose, you'll get performances.' That 'Bears' moniker - tagged onto the club's name last June - was owner Steve Lansdown's idea and sparked a 'heated' response from the fans Lam tried to bond with.

But he sees it symbolising his whole message.

Lam has created mini packs in the squad who compete for points across social gatherings and rugby activities throughout the year.

Their names? Sun-bears, Kodiaks, Ewoks and... Camemberts.

'We've got some characters!' Lam smiles.

'Not many people like change. You can learn from

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