Gloucester win at Bristol Bears in West Country Premiership Cup derby

Gloucester's youngsters took the West Country bragging rights on a rainy night at Ashton Gate as they beat Bristol Bears in the Premiership Cup.

A solid performance from a strong driving maul provided an abundance of tries for the visitors.

An immaculate cross-field kick from Gloucester's George Barton set up Jacob Morris for the first try of the game. Jack Bartlett, an early replacement for the injured Jack Clement, scored the Cherry and White's second.

Bartlett – who started the game as a replacement, put in an impressive performance to claim the player of the match award.

Gloucester's maul – a trademark of their season, was once again too powerful for the Bristol pack as Henry Walker went over for the Cherry and Whites third try before half time.

At the break, Bristol trailed 3-21 as they struggled to adapt to the weather conditions.

Bristol opened the scoring in the second half, playing Gloucester at their own game with Bryan Byrne scoring from a driving maul.

However, Freddie Thomas added the bonus point try for Gloucester. The Cherry and Whites swiftly added another, with Alex Morgan speeding away with an interception to score.

Bristol's number 8, Mitch Eadie added a consolation for the Bears as he powered over for their second try.

Gloucester's driving maul sealed the deal as they attacked the Bears' defence once more, and Henry Walker crossed for his second.

Pat Lam was in positive spirits, saying the rain had a large impact on Bristol's game, but it provided good learning opportunities for their young players despite the loss.

He said: “It was a great learning curve for the guys. The rain tests your skills and ability under pressure. For a lot of the young guys, particularly upfront it was a great challenge for them.”

Written by IMOGEN AINSWORTH