When Pat Lam joins Bristol following the conclusion of his final season with Connacht, it's likely they will have been relegated from the Aviva Premiership. The club currently sit bottom of English rugby's top tier, five points behind second from bottom Worcester.
Despite the looming drop, Bristol are ploughing ahead with making some star acquisitions.
Earlier this week, they confirmed the signing of All Black backrow Steven Luatua from Auckland Blues.
Now, according to the Bristol Post, the 15-cap international could be joined by two more All Blacks - TJ Perenara and a man painfully well-known to Irish rugby fans, Ryan 'in the corner' Crotty.
Officially, Lam cannot have involvement with the club until he joins. However, as the Bristol Post add, he has likely been consulted regarding possible signings. Also, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said that Luatua signing for Bristol had been influenced by Lam 'tapping him on the shoulder'.
28-year-old Crotty has 26 caps for the All Blacks while 25-year-old scrum-half Perenara has 29 caps.
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
