Yeah, I'm a bit confused also, but I think his point is that while his contract was announced as 3 years, there was a clause whereby either side can terminate it after 2 years with six months notice and therefore it is effectively a 2 year contract. Even though it was he that terminated the contract, the IRFU could have done so either.
He wanted a straight 3 years but instead they gave him 2+1. If he had gotten the 3 year deal he would have honoured it and therefore would still be here next season. For all intents and purposes his contract was up at the end of this season and so when he got offered a better deal elsewhere he went for the more secure option.
At least I think that's what he's saying.

(The upshot of it all is that KK is probably only contracted until 2019, not 2020 as announced)

Can someone try and explain Pat's point here cause I honestly don't understand is he saying that he wouldn't have left if it wasn't because of the clause because he saw it as a bit of an insult? Or that clubs wouldn't bother approaching him if it wasn't for the plus one clause? That just means that they would approach him the following year, and clubs are already starting to buy out players contracts so I'm sure Bristol would have attempted to do so if they felt it was necessary.

connachta wrote: rugbylad.com/pat-lam-blames-the-irfu-for-his-connacht-exit/

controversy to come (and Bristol in August BTW)

That's just a cut and paste job from Linley's article in the Irish Times and Galway Advertiser. (The clue is in the line that says "he told the Irish Times" )
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro12/pat...ase-clause-1.3102947

rugbylad.com/pat-lam-blames-the-irfu-for-his-connacht-exit/

controversy to come (and Bristol in August BTW)

They're doing away with the promotion playoff which should really help teams in the future- as it stands by the time they know they're being promoted it's too late to recruit the quality necessary to compete at the higher level. Like this yer when London Irish are all but guaranteed to top the table they could have been tracking premiership level players for months now if they didn't have the fear of the playoff hanging over them,

That's professional sports. I hope it works out for him but it is a gamble.

You would think they are going to be relegated now and you would back them to come straight back up, but then what? It's a tough enough league really and in my mind only Exeter in recent years have really broken that promotion/ relegation duck successfully.

No guarantees but good money and perhaps more freedom for him.

I also think it's good for Connacht. A new face will be good for everyone. New ideas new favourites, etc.

connachta wrote: Worcester secured the 5-0 win against Bristol
The latter can and may well pick another 11 points but no more.
And I'm conviced Worcester will pick one last win or 4 BP

Lam chose the money, that's his decision ok but I feel good to balance it with the fact he's 99% off to 2nd tier rugby..

You can't question it's deeply annoying to see the Pro12 champions coach with a young all-Black lock playing in Richmond/Esher in front of 800 souls. IMO that's the 1st time rugby and "business" diverge so much. I may be too sentimental, but still...

Otherwise yes Lam brought smth huge to Connacht, yes the reverse is true, yes Elwood and Keane mean 3 good coaches in a row, so of course I'll say a happy and pleasant farewell to Pat in May, no doubt about it

Bristol going down is much better for Lam than putting him straight into another Bristol relegation battle in his first season. He gets to bring them back from the disappointment of this season to what should be an immediate promotion from the championship and will probably have a much better team lined up for 2018/2019 than going into 2017/2018. It's also a better way to attract players as they can use the typical "was really impressed by their plans and it's not just about the money" so it's not just a purely fiscally-attractive move.

Nobody deserves this shot more than Lam and like many Connacht fans I'll have a newfound fondness for Bristol. Maybe even head along to a game next season. Who knows??? He'll get a massive send-off in the next few months, especially if we get into the Heino for next season.

Whatever Pat is getting going to Bristol fair play to him he more than deserves it. Connacht has been good for him but he's done more for Connacht than words can describe really. No matter what his reasons for leaving I don't really care. Under his tenure we've had so many great memories that would have seemed laughable a few years previous.

I think secretly he mightn't be overly bothered about Bristol going down, gives him a chance to build from scratch and develop his style of play without the threat of relegation. The first season with us it took a long time for us to adjust but he was able to do that safe in the knowledge we couldn't be relegated.

I think longer term with the finances at his disposal Pat probably sees more potential and more autonomy to do his own thing in Bristol.

Nothing against the guy. I like Pat Lam
I've just said he chose money, not "sport-issues". It's clear and has consequences

But of course I wish him, personally, the best!

sea_point wrote:

connachta wrote: Worcester secured the 5-0 win against Bristol
The latter can and may well pick another 11 points but no more.
And I'm conviced Worcester will pick one last win or 4 BP

Lam chose the money, that's his decision ok but I feel good to balance it with the fact he's 99% off to 2nd tier rugby..

Personally I wish him well, I take no delight at all in Bristol's likely relegation. But as he's shown with us, he's a super man manager and will probably do well there also regardless...
..

He's also a nice guy!- Good luck to him and his family!

He chose the money but its not an extra 10k or something like that, he'll be one of the best paid coaches in the world, at one of the clubs with the biggest budgets in the world. He's shown he enjoys a challenge, and he'll have a blank slate. Any coach would fancy what is on offer. He will be in the championship next year but that will give him some bedding in time and obviously back himself to come back up right away.

connachta wrote: Worcester secured the 5-0 win against Bristol
The latter can and may well pick another 11 points but no more.
And I'm conviced Worcester will pick one last win or 4 BP

Lam chose the money, that's his decision ok but I feel good to balance it with the fact he's 99% off to 2nd tier rugby..

Pretty ungrateful attitude really, Pat owes us nothing, absolutely nothing!
Barring injuries there's every chance we would have qualified automatically for the Champions Cup next season, and we may very well still do so via playoff....
If he wants a new challenge, perfectly entitled to make that call...

Personally I wish him well, I take no delight at all in Bristol's likely relegation. But as he's shown with us, he's a super man manager and will probably do well there also regardless...
A season in the Championship may actually be the perfect entry for Lam and the many changes in squad and coaching team that are likely next season, with no European Rugby or LV Cup to worry about..

Worcester secured the 5-0 win against Bristol
The latter can and may well pick another 11 points but no more.
And I'm conviced Worcester will pick one last win or 4 BP

Lam chose the money, that's his decision ok but I feel good to balance it with the fact he's 99% off to 2nd tier rugby..

_nobody_ wrote: Linley Mackenzie made an interesting point where Jackman is not complimentary about his time in Connacht at all. I have heard him refer to this as well but agree that he has matured since. I still feel that he has been very quick to talk Connacht down at times. He is currently in charge of a team who are going to be relegated, and are in huge financial difficulty. Of course he would be interested in the Connacht job.

IMHO this job should not be seen as a stepping stone to another provincial role, which I believe Jackman would see it as. Pat bought into what Connacht was 100% and it is someone like this that we need again. Somebody who wants to be here. The prospect of being in charge of Connacht is a lot more attractive than it was when we hired Pat.

I think he made comments in his book about his time in Connacht being indifferent to him and Leinster is where he always really wanted to be

Linley Mackenzie made an interesting point where Jackman is not complimentary about his time in Connacht at all. I have heard him refer to this as well but agree that he has matured since. I still feel that he has been very quick to talk Connacht down at times. He is currently in charge of a team who are going to be relegated, and are in huge financial difficulty. Of course he would be interested in the Connacht job.

IMHO this job should not be seen as a stepping stone to another provincial role, which I believe Jackman would see it as. Pat bought into what Connacht was 100% and it is someone like this that we need again. Somebody who wants to be here. The prospect of being in charge of Connacht is a lot more attractive than it was when we hired Pat.