Stuttering Bears finally remember their lines
BRISTOL have had a lean time of it in the Premiership in recent weeks after a promising start to the season, but they filled their boots in the second half of this West Country derby at Ashton Gate against a lacklustre Gloucester outfit.
Pat Lam’s side broke free of Gloucester’s attempts to shackle them, emphasising their overall dominance by scoring tries through Henry Purdy, Luke Morahan and Matt Protheroe.
Bristol’s attempts at a high-tempo game had been too helter-skelter in the first half. Their adventurous spirit was undone by their attempts to go wide before they had run the straight lines required to draw in the Gloucester defence. After the break, though, they fixed the problem.
The home side were helped by the strong running of Purdy – the former Gloucester wing on loan from Coventry – and also of fellow wing Alapati Leuia, centre Sam Bedlow, and their increasingly dominant back row of Dan Thomas, Nathan Hughes, and captain Steven Luatua.
When the direct running was accompanied by accurate passing, an injurydepleted Gloucester had no answer
After a first-half which left Bristol with a relatively slender 15-9 half-time lead, given that they had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory – all the points coming from penalties, Calum Sheedy kicking five to Owen Williams’ three – they needed to raise their game
Luatua showed the way four minutes into the second half with a sharp offload to Leuia and, when he linked with Thomas, Gloucester were scrambling to hold the line
With Harry Randall and Sheedy moving the ball crisply from the ruck, Morahan and Piers O’Conor combined before the latter’s pass saw Purdy force his way over for the opening try.
Sheedy’s touchline conversion gave Bristol a 22-9 lead, and the confidenceboost saw them take an ever tighter grip on the game before surging past Gloucesday, ter in the final quarter.
A period of sustained Bristol pressure beg an with Purdy coming off his wing to make inroads up the middle, before their big Australian full-back, Morahan – who is one of the most dangerous runners in the Premiership – car ried the ball deep into the Gloucester 22.
After a series of pick-anddrives Bristol won a string of scrum penalties, the first of which ended with Hughes losing control at the base as Gloucester shot backwards. This allowed the visitor’s skipper for the
Gloucesday, Lewis Ludlow, to escape sanction for toe-poking the ball out of the scrum.
However, when the siege continued with three more scrummages, Gloucester cracked. The pressure be gan with carries by Hughes and Leuia, and when Luatua and Lewis Thiede kept hammering away, Randall was able to get his line moving.
Slick handling by Leuia and Sheedy created space, and the lively Protheroe did the rest, freeing Morahan to score in the corner. Sheedy, who had kicked everything, was unable to add th extras, but the Bristol assault was not over.
They added a third try eight minutes from time when Protheroe sliced through after a sharp move involving Sheedy, Will Capon and Leuia.
After Sheedy had converted to give Bristol their final tally, Gloucester roused themselves for Freddie Clarke to score with the match in the twilight zone. By then, though, the Gloucester lights had long gone out – and if they want to remain in the top half of the table they cannot afford more displays like this.
CLOSE-UP
HARRY RANDALL JOE SIMPSON
Bristol scrum-half Gloucester scrum-half
Randall is a fast and furious scrum-half with good footwork and a quick service, and is ideal for the high-tempo game Bristol aspire to. Could do with varying the pace rather than 100mph at all times, but plays with verve. The evergreen Simpson was under constant pressure behind a beaten pack – so no breakaway tries this time.
