HUGHES, RADRADRA HELP IN VICTORY
BRISTOL stayed firmly in the Gallagher Premiership playoff race after brushing aside Leicester 40-3 at Ashton Gate.
An emphatic bonus-point victory — a record league win for Bristol against Leicester – means that a repeat outcome against struggling London Irish on Sunday could set up a topfour finish.
Bristol will also require one of their playoff rivals Wasps or Bath to lose on the final day of regular season action – they face Exeter and Saracens respectively — but Pat Lam’s men have given themselves every chance. And it was an impressive performance under pressure for league points, even if some of the attacking pyrotechnics that have highlighted recent Bristol displays were absent.
On this occasion, it was the Bristol pack that prospered, with No.8 Nathan Hughes, hooker Bryan Byrne and flanker Dan Thomas all scoring tries in the first 45 minutes.
Full-back Ioan Lloyd also touched down and replacement Harry Thacker crossed against his former club before Bristol collected an 80th-minute penalty try.
Fly-half Callum Sheedy kicked four conversions, and an inexperienced Leicester side’s solitary scoring response came from Zack Henry’s 24th-minute penalty.
It was Tigers’ 14th defeat of a dismal league campaign, and Bristol encountered few problems putting them away.
Fijian star Semi Radradra appeared off Bristol’s bench for the final quarter, and he was immediately involved in the action after replacing Lloyd.
Fijian Tigers duo Nemani Nadolo and Kini Murimurivalu were left out of the Leicester side line-up.