WITH Bristol due to move to Ashton Gate next season, a couple of their homegrown youngsters are eager to create as many memories of playing at the Memorial Stadium as possible.
Both prop Will Davis and lock Joe Joyce are likely to be involved in Sunday’s British Irish Cup game against Scottish Premiership leaders Gala.
While Bristol will hope to progress in both the GKIPA Championship and BI Cup, therefore extending their season into May and June, they only have another eight guaranteed games in BS7.
And the young duo realise they may not have many more opportunities to run out at a ground where they watched many games stretching back to their respective childhoods.
Davis, 23, said: “It will be nice to go out and play, especially at the Memorial Stadium. It’s a very special place for me to play and to get those opportunities to go out and showcase what I can do in a Bristol shirt.
“On a personal level, I want to get as many memories of playing on there as possible. Obviously, I have got a lot of memories of watching games there, but it would be nice to get a few more memories as a player, because I’m not sure how many more opportunities there will be.
“It’s going to be a sad time when we leave there, but we’ve got to move on and that’s the way of life sometimes.”
Lock Joyce, 19, made his home debut for Bristol with a 20-minute cameo in their 21-17 BI Cup win over Leeds in October.
And, recognising there will be opportunities for the club’s younger players in the BI Cup, he wants to make the most of playing at the Memorial Stadium if he gets onto the field this weekend.
“Being a Bristol boy, and going up the Mem since such a young age, playing there is the one thing I really want to do,” he said.
“Last season, I didn’t get to play at the Mem, so one of my goals before this season was to play at the Mem before we move – and to have done that already is great. But now I want to get as many appearances as I can at the Mem before we go, because the place holds a lot of memories for me.
“If I had never had the chance to play at the Mem, I’d have been devastated, so coming off the bench in that Leeds game was a big moment for me. I just hope there’s a few more experiences like that before the end of the season.”
Another thing Joyce and Davis have in common is that they have benefited from opportunities to gain senior rugby experience by going out on loan.
Joyce was a mainstay for National Two South Dings Crusaders last season and is back this term, featuring in last week’s derby defeat at Clifton. Davis, meanwhile, is on a season-long deal at National One Cinderford.
“I have been out on loan, playing week in, week out, and I have been waiting for this opportunity and it has finally come,” said Davis.
“I am up at Cinderford and it’s a good club. Andy Deacon, the ex-Gloucester prop, is up there and it’s a good place for me to develop. National One is a very, very testing league and I am up against a lot of good players every week. I have enjoyed playing at Cinderford and I have got myself ready to take any opportunities that come up at Bristol.”
Bristol Rugby v Gala: Match preview
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