Bears out to sting Wasps and get campaign rolling

BRISTOL Bears head to the newly named Coventry Building Society Arena today (3pm) looking for a first away win in the Premiership against Wasps Rugby under Pat Lam’s tenure.

Wasps begin their campaign after having a bye week in Round One and Wasps’ last six Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches have been evenly split with three wins and three defeats.

Bristol Bears are looking to pick up their first win of the season having lost their last two Gallagher Premierthree

ship Rugby matches, both at Ashton Gate, against Harlequins in last year’s semi-final and against Saracens in Round One but have not lost

in succession since January 2020.

Bristol won their most recent encounter with Wasps 37-20 at Ashton Gate in March to end an eleven-game losing streak to Wasps in Premiership Rugby.

Bristol have won only once at the CBS Arena: 30-19 in the Premiership Rugby Cup in November 2018.

BT Sport will not be showing every game during the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season with fans now back in stadiums but this weekend’s game has been selected to be broadcast.

The match is being shown live on BT Sport 2HD and can also be watched on the BT Sport App. The coverage on BT will start at 2.30pm. Teams

Wasps: 15. Ali Crossdale, 14. Marcus Watson, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 12. Michael Le Bourgeois, 11. Josh Bassett, 10. Jacob Umaga, 9. Dan Robson; 1. Robin Hislop, 2. Tom Cruse, 3. Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 4. Vaea Fifita, 5. Elliott Stooke, 6. Brad Shields, 7. Gabriel Oghre, 8. Tom Willis Replacements: 16. Dan Frost, 17. Ben Harris, 18. Biyi Alo, 19. Tim Cardall, 20. Ben Morris, 21. Will Porter, 22. Jimmy Gopperth, 23. Zack Kibirige

Bristol Bears: 15. Charles Piutau; 14. Niyi Adeolokun,

13. Piers O’Conor, 12. Alapati Leiua, 11. Ioan Lloyd; 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Andy Uren; 1. Yann Thomas, 2. Harry Thacker, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Chris Vui, 6. Steven Luatua (c), 7. Dan Thomas, 8. Nathan Hughes. Replacements: 16. Will Capon, 17. Jake Woolmore,

18. Jake Armstrong, 19. Ed Holmes, 20. Jake Heenan, 21. Harry Randall, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Henry Purdy Referee: Karl Dickson

Assistant referees: Ian Tempest and Gareth

Holsgrove

TMO: Claire Hodnett

Citing Officer: Chris Catling

Picture: Rogan Thomson/JMP > Charles Piutau on the offensive for Bristol Bears when they played Wasps at Ashton Gate in the Gallagher Premiership in March. He is in the starting line-up for Bears today

> Bears director of rugby Pat Lam