Running order: 00.00 - 14.30: Re-living the semi at the Rec 14.30 - 18.40: Back to the start of the season and the focus on cohesion 18:40 - 25.45: Pronouncing Ravouvou, thoughts on Rubiolo and gym strength 25.45 - 30.45: Integrating the Internationals 30.45 - 41.00: Lee's list of positives, centurion or not centurion and Wooley tribute 41.00 - 52.30: European campaign, man love for BJVR and the Clermont cauldron 52.30 - 70.07: Quick fire questions: Fitzy's real name? Batesy's super skill? Engla...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 200
After being 'super-excited' for the game on Friday and reaching high peaks of excitement at half time we talk about the glorious defeat to them down the road in the play off semi final at the Rec. It was everything we had hoped for bar the final score but just like that, the season was over. Having spent the afternoon at the cricket, and with the 200th episode looming, we decide to do a 'half pod' instead. We talk through the incidents, the individual performances and muse on what might have bee...
Jun 09, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 199
In this week's episode we re-live a fantastic day down the Gate when the Bears secured their first play off berth in four years with a resounding 52-26 victory over Quins. The Bears Way was on display in its full roller-coaster splendour although to be fair they weathered a small storm in the second half and then powered to the finish line, much to the frenzied delight of the majority of the 20,000 fans in the stadium (minus the Quins supporters who, to be fair, seemed very gracious in defeat). ...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 199
Join Pete and Lee as they review the Friday night loss at Sale and how Saints' win against Sarries has provided us with a play off lifeline. At least things are simple now. Win against Quins and we are in the play offs. Lose and we probably won't be... Up the Bears! Let us know what you think!
May 19, 2025•54 min
It's been a long time coming and it has divided opinion, but Saturday saw 51,000 spectators descend on Cardiff for the Big Day out at the World's premier rugby stadium. We review both the pre-match atmosphere, the game itself and what we can take forward to the tough away game at Sale. It is customary to mention Enya at this juncture but we need to put lazy puns aside and focus on the task ahead. Bears got the 5 points that they needed to keep themselves on play-off life support but how good was...
May 11, 2025•58 min•Season 6Ep. 197
You’re listening to Bears Beyond The Gate episode 196. Yes 196. We’re three fans who love the club, the game and all things Bears. Each episode we talk about the game that’s gone, the game that’s coming up and anything else that takes our fancy as long as it is vaguely Bears related. We try to be as balanced as possible but ultimately we are trying to reflect the views and opinions of paying punters from all ages, backgrounds and demographics. We don’t take ourselves too seriously but we do try ...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 196
Only a couple of hours after the end of the disappointing defeat against Tigers we knock out a pod. It's raw and a bit unstructured and involves a long discussion about how many more fortress metaphors we can realistically use before just giving up and accepting that we're never going to win lots of home games in a row. Supporting Bristol continues to be like riding a roller-coaster but today it felt like we were more at Peppa Pig World than Alton Towers. Are play off hopes in the balance or can...
Apr 20, 2025•54 min•Season 6Ep. 195
Miles and Pete break down the humbling defeat at Gloucester by piecing together what they can remember from an excellent away day in the Shed. Bristol's defence left a little bit to be desired but fair play to Gloucester as they were on fire and it was an honour to witness once of best no-look offloads in the history of rugby union. Despite the heavy defeat, the Bears still remain in second place after this mini block of games but the pack are closing fast. Does the fact that we have shipped 15 ...
Mar 31, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 194
We run through the key moments of the 52-38 victory at a pulsating Ashton Gate as the Bears saw off the Chiefs with a disciplined second half display after losing Santi Grondona to a red after 30 minutes. The first half however... We also briefly look forward to the away fixture at Kingsholm with a game of 'who is most likely to...?' and finish with a short discussion about the merits or otherwise of the proposed plan to introduce dedicated away fan sections. Finally, Miles doffs his tweed cap t...
Mar 23, 2025•55 min•Season 6Ep. 193
We look forward to the return of the Premiership after the long Six Nations hiatus with a little help from Sports Reporter Elgan Alderman from The Times who was the ONLY journalist to tip Bristol for glory at the start of the season. We ask him why he went against the tide of peer opinion and whether he thinks we've still go it in us to go all the way. We also review the Bears Woman' semi final loss at Queensholm and ponder over the fact that every single stat apart the final score went in our f...
Mar 17, 2025•52 min•Season 6Ep. 192
This week we focus on the Bears Women's upcoming semi-final play off with Gloucester-Hartpury on Sunday 2nd March at 3pm. Not only do we invite a proper dual season ticket holder onto the pod as a special guest but we also have an exclusive and in-depth interview with Dave Ward and Tom Luke. They give us a behind-the scenes deep dive into the season so far as well as their thoughts on how they will plan and prep for the play-off. It's a fairly lengthy and interesting chat after which we discuss ...
Feb 23, 2025•1 hr 16 min
The boys are back at the Bristol Beer Factory for yor favourite Bristol rugby lock-in. Unashamedly long but to help you out here is the running order: 0 - 6m45s: Intros, beer review, riders and the BBF Quiz night details 6m45s - 22m0s: Bears Women's win at Quins and qualify for play-offs 22m0s - 29m33s: PWR Commentator cliches 29m33s - 30m40s: Instagram followers roll of honour 30m40s - 36m30s: Bears Men beat Bath again but don't qualify for play-offs 36m30 - 44m30s: Post-match Pat and even more...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 6Ep. 190
As we head towards the Six Nations break we are sitting pretty in second place in the Prem table on 40 points. It might have been a bit of a topsy turvey win against Falcons that we appeared to try and win at least three times, but ultimately we scored 8 tries and pulled away in the final 'quarter'. We break down the game in our somewhat cheery and rambly way as well as going off on a few tangents with thoughts on whether we should sign Santi Carreras and whether it was appropriate for the Engla...
Jan 27, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 189
You’re listening to Bears Beyond The Gate, a Bristol Bears podcast made by fans for fans. We three regulars at Ashton Gate who love the club, the game and all things Bears. This week we look back on two Saturday fixtures with the Women going first with a bonus point victory 43-29 win against Leicester Tigers women at Ashton Gate and the Men managing to snatch defeat from the Jaws of a Draw at the Stade Marcel Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand. It was another welcome 5 points for the Women in their qu...
Jan 19, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 188
The boys come together at the Bristol Beer Factory after a couple of cheeky pints to review the narrow victory at the Gate aganst Benetton. It was an inconsistent win but with plenty to be postive about despite almost losing at the end. Before that though, Miles issues a public apology to the whole Italian nation and we run through a large list of people who we saw at the game. We then offer our analysis based on what we could actually remember as well as broadening the discussion to all manner ...
Jan 13, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 187
So, after the Christmas comedown, a visit to Saracens was always going to be a tough assignment given their team and our track record in North London. In the end a cheeky point was probably about right although we did look a few gift horses in the mouth and on another day we might have left with a few more. The Bears Women were also in action today with nearly 10K fans at Ashton Gate keen to catch a glimpse of Ilona Maher and equally as importantly, a league victory. They got the first but sadly...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 186
In this week's episode Miles is off sick so we bring in a heavyweight replacement to provide laser sharp analysis of where it all went wrong. Welcome Mr Dave Attwood for his second appearance on the pod! Dave breaks down Friday's disappointing result from a recent player's perspective and we jump on his bandwagon to give our view from the stands. Ultimately we decide that it's a blip that needs to be flushed down the toilet and never be mentioned again. That said, we continue with our listener p...
Dec 29, 2024•54 min•Season 6Ep. 185
We are back after a two week break and dive straight into a quick review of the tough European campaign. A great effort from the lads away at La Rochelle but ultimately we are sitting at the bottom of the table. We briefly discuss what this might mean for the ‘Andy Uren derby’ when Benetton come to town in January and then swiftly move on to more pressing matters… You know… The rugby massacre at Welford Road. We do our best to give justice to the record-breaking events that unfolded on Saturday ...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 184
In a very short late Sunday night post-match pod Pete and Miles reflect on the defeat to Leinster at a very windy Ashton Gate. Lets be honest - they were lucky to be 7-7 at the break having lost two men to the bin and struggling to find a way through the Bristol's inspired defence that also had to contend with the loss on AJ MacGinty after 5 mins, and a reshuffle that put BJVR at fly half. However, they were lucky enough to have both a World Cup winner and runner up on the bench alongside the pr...
Dec 08, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 183
To mark the European heavyweights from Dublin's visit to Ashton gate on Sunday, former Bristol Bear and Leinster player Ian Madigan joins us for an episode packed with insights and nostalgia. He shares treasured memories from his time at Bristol, revealing what it was like to play under Pat Lam's leadership and how it shaped his approach to rugby. We also talk about Ian's transition to life off the field, where he's now navigating the worlds of television and marketing, and the exciting news of ...
Dec 05, 2024•38 min•Season 6Ep. 182
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Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 181
Ever wondered how professional rugby players navigate the transition from one team to another while maintaining their game and sanity? Join us as we chat with Callum Sheedy and Dan Thomas, ex Bears who recently set up shop in Cardiff. They share what it's like to move from familiar territory, the emotional rollercoaster of starting anew, and how commuting together helps them stay connected to their roots. You'll hear a personal story or two about their first days at ther new club, the nerves, th...
Nov 17, 2024•49 min•Season 6Ep. 180
What happens when you mix a makeshift dining room studio with lively rugby banter? You get a fun-filled episode of Bears Beyond the Gate! Join us as our usual podcast space at the Bristol Beer Factory Taproom is commandeered by the BBC, forcing us into the homely pod studio. Miles shares his up-close experience from the England versus Australia clash at Twickenham but despite England's loss, the electrifying atmosphere, seamless pint access, and scrumptious street food made it a day to remember....
Nov 10, 2024•51 min•Season 6Ep. 179
In this week’s episode we discuss the extent to which Ashton Gate is on its first steps to becoming a fortress after the first home win of the season against Saints despite our general lack of historical knowledge and the fact that the boys had to dig deep from 15-0 down. We also analyse TNT’s official post match interview with Joe Batley as well as our own unofficial one with pod favorite AJ ‘Adge’ MacGinty. As well as the regular ‘poet’s corner’ we introduce a new angle with ‘relatives corner’...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 178
In this week's episode we re-live the agonising defeat against Sarries, who are now well established as our Ashton Gate bogey team. We were much the better side but just couldn't put the game to bed when in front and on top. However it was a great spectacle for the 18K fans who turned up for the family day double header and long may the fast flowing and exciting rugby continue. We talk about both games and have soundbites from James Dun, fans from both teams and also, for the first time ever, po...
Oct 20, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 177
This week the boys break down yet another away win for the Bears down at Sandy Park. At 32-12 down with all stats against us and only 14 minutes left on the clock, we somehow snatch victory from the jaws of defeat leaving us in dreamland and top of the table after four games. We try to make sense of the mayhem whilst opening cans of beer and marveling at how sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. After that we look forward to Family day next Saturday and the double header vs Sarries with help ...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 176
We can bearly contain ourselves this week as the Boys went to the Rec on Saturday as underdogs but left it with a wholehearted Blackbird ringing in their ears. It was a game of passion, purpose and no little skill on both sides but for the 145th time in the history of this fixture the Bears were triumphant. We break down the events at the Rec and then look forward to the next game at Chiefs with the help of SW Rugby writer John Evely. We've had to cut down on the acrostics this week as we have e...
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 175
In this week's show Pete and Miles review the Friday night harem scarum defeat to Gloucester with help from many listener contributions and the Deputy Manager of the Bristol Bear Factory, Lewis. It was one of those games where every single statistic was in our favour apart from the one that matters, that is, the final score and perhaps on another day we would have strolled to victory. But we didn't. That said, the Cherry and Whites played with purpose and passion and undoubtedly forced us into f...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 174
This week we review the start of the Premiership with the gritty but points-profitable win away at Newcastle. Was it a solid start with a few leanings or rather as good as you might expect given the time of year, the weather and the fact that they are coached by Steve Diamond? We read out listener thoughts, both poetic and prosaic, give our views on the game and forensically analyse Bennard Janse Van Rensburg's post match interview in full. Next stop is Ashton Gate for the first renewal of the R...
Sep 22, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 173
The boys get Season 6 (yes 6!) off to a solid start from the world famous Bristol Beer Factory and 'talk about' the following things: The Big Day out - good, bad or a bit of both? The new home and away kit - obviously good but just how good? The pre-season game vs Dragons - Miles and Pete report back along from a wet night at Clifton RFC with a bonus post-match sound bite from Pat and a during-match one from Harry Randall. The season ahead - the squad is discussed. Miles' 'merch' - the Duke come...
Sep 08, 2024•58 min•Season 6Ep. 172
