Ealing keep heat on Bristol with win over Carnegie

UNBEATEN league leaders Bristol racked up 50 points for the second time this season as they brushed aside winless Rotherham in an eight-try demolition at Ashton Gate.

Pat Lam’s rampant side wrapped up the bonus point within 29 minutes as scores from Ross McMillan, Tusi Pisi and Joe Joyce followed a 14th-minute penalty try, after Caolan Ryan’s penalty had given Titans an early lead.

Aside from Rhodri Davies’ late consolation, that was as good as it got for the visitors, as a second penalty try, Luke Morahan, Jason Harris-Wright and Tom Varndell wrapped up an eighth successive league win for the hosts. Head coach Pat Lam,

right, said: “We’re really pleased. We’re slowly evolving into the team we want Bristol to be.

“We saw from Rotherham’s game against Ealing that if you give them a chance, they’re not a bad side, so it was really down to us to get the mental side of our game right.

“That’s two tough games in a row – and we’ve got a third now on Friday at Yorkshire.”

It was Rotherham who took the lead when fly-half Ryan landed a third minute penalty after Dan Thomas had infringed at the ruck. But Bristol soon hit their stride and a second successive surge at scrum time saw Adam Leal award a penalty try.

McMillan broke free from another such drive to stretch over for Bristol’s second before the best of a 12-minute salvo arrived courtesy of Tusi Pisi, as the Samoan centre crashed over in the corner after a beautiful interchange from Tom Varndell and Callum Sheedy in a congested fivemetre channel.

Joyce marked his 50th