Bears Beyond The Gate

Ep 218 - Bears Centurian Jake Heenan joins the pod plus some Bristol rugby-related bits and pieces before the annual Six Nations hibernation

The main event is the Jake Heenan interview where we chat to him about his rugby career which of course included seven years and over 100 appearances for Bristol Bears. We also discuss his relationship with Pat from his time as a youngster in the Auckland Blues Academy through to the title winning Connacht side of 2016 and finally his successful stint in Bristol. He provides great insight into the ups and downs of a pro rugby player but also demands recogntion for the selfless way that he gave up his contract here in order to free up cap space for Tom Jordan and Louis Rees-Zamitt!Joking aside it was a very intereresting 30 mins or so which we hope that listeners will enjoy.Prior to that we also discuss the recent Prem Cup games, the emergence of Bears players in England A and (and senior) squads (up the Klosk!) and reaffirm our beleif that it was us who started the famous 'Gengey's coming home chant'.All that and more with Pete, Lee and Miles and a few cheeky beers provided by the Bristol Beer Factory Taproom via the ever generous Lewis.Let us know what you think!

Ep 217 - Immense in defence. Bears get down and dirty in Devon

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Ep 216 - Beaten by Bordeaux but heads held high

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Ep 215 - Attitude at altitude - Bears make European Cup play offs for first time in 3 years

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Ep 214 - Gritty and not particularly pretty but the win against Sale concludes a very tidy Christmas campaign

The band is back together again as the boys chat over the gritty, but not particularly pretty new year win over Sale. It was a chilly night at the Gate and the fortress was certainly tested but thankfully the drawbridge was raised in the 72nd minute when Kela Ravouvou scored the deciding try.Lying fourth at the mid point of the Prem season is probably better than we could  have hoped for but we now seemed to have settled into a nice rhytmn with a level of physicality that is delivering results.Next up is a trip to the sunny High Veld and an appointment with the Vodacomm Bulls. There is a suspicion that the South Africans aren't massively keen on the Champions Cup so a victory in Pretoria would set things up nicely for the visit of Bordeaux Begles the following week. Lewis Rees-Zamit's contract extension is also discussed as is the suggestion that Moroni has the air of a Latino Henry Purdy.Join Pete, Miles and Lee for a cheeky beer and a bit of Bristol-related rugby banter...Let us know what you think!