Rugby muscles back in style
Bristol give Quins a scare while battling Bath shock Hartley’s Northampton
THE Promised Land proved to be no paradise for Bristol, who were given an unforgiving welcome on their return to the top flight after seven years of waiting.
Despite a dream start at Twickenham for the Aviva Premiership newcomers, it was Harlequins who left with the taste of victory as they began life without Conor O’Shea.
Flushed with the cash of billionaire owner Steve Lansdown, who made his fortune in financial services, Bristol have the potential to become the next powerbroker in English rugby.
But Andy Robinson’s side paid the price for ill-discipline here in southwest London, twice losing their grip on the lead as their enterprise was undone.
In the No 12 jerseys, it was a battle of past versus present — Gavin Henson versus Jamie Roberts. Craft versus crash. The two Welsh centres, the former in the Test wilderness since 2011, have a history of public verbals. Roberts accused his celebrity countryman of hogging the limelight when he was used to promote a new jersey in Cardiff.
Yet their duel on the soggy Twickenham turf lasted only 30 minutes, by which point the newcomers were 14-3 up.
Henson was substituted after what looked like a late hit and Bristol soon lost their way.
New recruit Tusi Pisi, the Samoan No 10, added to the dynamic with his experience, but the rainy elements meant Bristol had no points to show for their efforts in the opening quarter, despite making 18 line breaks to only two from Quins.
It took an ill-judged pass by Danny Care to gift the first try, with winger Tom Varndell reading the play and sprinting clear to open his tally for the season. It was the 86th Premiership try of his career and he is only four behind Mark Cueto’s record.
Joe Marler’s efforts at the scrum allowed Nick Evans to narrow the deficit with a penalty but, after a misplaced clearance kick by Ross Chisolm, Pisi waltzed past Care and Jack Clifford for his side’s second.
During his time as head coach of England and Scotland, Bristol director of rugby Robinson had limited joy at HQ after taking over from Sir Clive Woodward in 2004.
The 52-year-old’s fortunes in west London appeared to be changing, before his side’s lack of control reappeared towards the end of the first half.
Quins gained territory with two soft penalties and took the lead with two quickfire tries before the break, despite the defensive efforts of tattooed warrior Jack Lam.
Overcoming some early handling errors, winger Marland Yarde latched on to a driving maul for the first. And moments later, the winger appeared to throw a forward pass to send Joe Marchant under the posts on the stroke of half time.
Marchant, 20, was a star of England’s Junior World Cup campaign during the summer and has been named in Eddie Jones’ wider training squad for the new season.
But the youngster’s inexperience cost his side early in the second half when, after a deft chip by Ryan Edwards, he misjudge the rainsoaked pitch.
The ball squirmed out of his grasp and Edwards dived on a fortunate bounce to regain the lead when refusing to give up the chase following an initial break from his own half.
Also back in familiar surroundings for the first time since England’s failed World Cup campaign was Quins’ new forwards coach Graham Rowntree.
But the former front row was left frustrated when his pack were turned over at an attacking scrum deep in Bristol’s half.
Despite the missed opportunity, territory and possession swung in favour of John Kingston’s Quins, with Evans dishing out a reality check for Bristol with six points in 10 minutes.
BRISTOL: Wallace, Edwards, Hurrell, Henson (Mosses 29), Varndell, Pisi, Cliff (Williams 64); Tonga’uiha (Traynor 62), McMillan (Brooker 59), Cortes, Phillips (Joyce 56), Glynn, Fisher (Eadie 61), Lam, Crane (Robinson 66).
HARLEQUINS: Chisholm, Yarde, Marchant, Roberts, Visser (Alofa Alofa 67), Evans (Jackson 73), Care; Marler, Buchanan (Ward 56), Sinckler (Collier 56), Twomey (Merrick 59), Horwill, Robshaw, Wallace, Clifford (Luamanu).