Is Dean Ryan set to quit Bristol for Gloucester?

Set to leave
By Duncan Wood
June 12 2002

Only a week ago, I sat at a press conference where Dean Ryan, Jack Rowell and Jason Little talked about Twickenham and the future of the club. It's very possible we may not see any of them again...

The rumour has been circling for weeks but most Bristol supporters have hoped that there was no truth in it given the recent upsurge in the team's fortunes.

However, the Late Final edition of the Bristol Evening Post runs a piece on the back page tonight saying that Dean Ryan has agreed a 3 year deal as forwards coach at Gloucester. He is still under contract for another year at Bristol and apparently the Shoguns will be seeking compensation.

The article claims that Ryan was meeting with Malcolm Pearce this afternoon and Malcolm was quoted as follows:

"If Dean goes, it will be one of those things...As far as Bristol is concerned it is onwards and upwards. If he feels that he has had enough of Bristol, fine - then we have to make other arrangements..Bristol have to go forward. We are certainly in a better position than we were three years ago."

Matt Cain's article goes on to speculate that Peter Thorburn will be asked to step up to the head coach position and his elevation could well result in Paul Hull moving into the senior coaching ranks. Thorburn at the moment is back home in New Zealand.

This would probably please those who felt that Bristol's improvement in recent months coincided with Thorburn's arrival at the club and adds credence to the rumours about bust ups between Dean and certain players.

They say a week's a long time in politics but what about Bristol rugby? We played at Twickenham last Saturday. Since then Adam Vander has been released, Jason Little may well retire, Jack Rowell is set to be unveiled as Director of Rugby at Bath and Deano is set to go.

Bristol are set to hold a press conference tomorrow so I suppose we'll find out what's going on then. Strange to think of the standing ovation he got at the Northampton game.

All we can do is to trust Malcolm...