Tuesday 8 November 2016 12:17, UK
Dewi Morris reflects on Andy Robinson's departure from Bristol and whether it's too late to save their season...
So the decision has finally been made and Andy Robinson has been sacked by Bristol.
The board had lost confidence with him. In reply Robinson said that he was surprised and disappointed by that decision, but I think he was on his own there.
Chris Booy and the board must now take stock of their own situation, and questions must be asked of them as well.
Talk is cheap. It is now time for Bristol to make the right decisions moving forward, even if it requires taking a few steps back first.
Why on earth was Robinson given a three-year contract before a ball had been kicked this season?
Surely the sensible decision would have been to review and react when you are at certain points during the season. After all it has not been plain sailing getting back into the Premiership in the first place.
Bristol must get it right this time and if it takes going back down to the Championship, so be it.
Last week, Sky Sports viewers were treated to an excellent performance by London Irish, the hot favourites for promotion back to the top table.
There was more collective concentration and clarity in that performance for 80 minutes against London Scottish than I have witnessed from Bristol over the last three years.
Talking to Bob Casey in the week prior to the game he said it was very simple. They got an experienced guy on board who talks straight. That person was Brendan Venter.
With Venter's help and advice Irish have stripped back the club to where they want it to be, and the only place to do that was in the Championship.
You need time to build a game plan and develop players and coaches. Players that really want to play for that club and coaches that know all about that club and want to be part of it again. Nick Kennedy, Declan Danaher and Paul Hodgson to name but three.
Venter's mantra is crawl, walk, run. The basics must be put in place first - the set piece, defence, game plan, etc - and then you move it up a level.
Bristol have struggled because their foundations have not been put in place. Talk is cheap. It is now time to make the right decisions moving forward, even if it requires taking a few steps back first.
