We’re on right track, says Lam, after comeback falls just short
BRISTOL BEARS VS LEICESTER TIGERS, GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP
AJ MaGinty missed with an 81st-minute 40-metre penalty kick as Bristol’s comeback against defending champions Leicester Tigers finished just short of victory on Saturday night.
Bristol had to make do with a 26-26 draw but the result at Ashton Gate halted a run of six successive Gallagher Premiership defeats. However, the three match points couldn’t quite pull them off the foot of the table where they dropped to after London Irish beat Newcastle 39-17 earlier in the day.
Leicester looked well on their way to victory, but replacement prop Francois van Wyk was sent off 16 minutes from time for a high tackle on Ellis Genge and Bristol punished the 14-man Tigers by scoring two converted tries as hooker Bryan Byrne and wing Gabriel Ibitoye struck.
Genge, who captained Tigers to the league title last season, saw his former team-mates threaten to move into the play-off zone.
First-half tries by centre Dan Kelly, wing Chris Ashton and hooker Julian Montoya put Leicester in the driving seat, while fly-half Freddie Burns added a conversion and three penalties.
Bristol, without a Premiership win since they toppled London Irish on September 24, led 12-6 midway through the second quarter.
Centre Semi Radradra marked his comeback from injury with an early try, then full-back Charles Piutau added a slick second score, converted by Callum Sheedy.
But a 29th-minute yellow card for Radradra for a high tackle on a dipping Freddie Burns proved costly, with Leicester posting two tries while he was out of action, until the late Bristol tries, both converted by MacGinty. Speaking postmatch, Bears director of rugby Pat Lam, pictured, pressed replay on his now familiar line that his side are improving on an upward curve. Lam said: “We will take the three ponts, we had opportunities to get more and I am not talking about AJ’s missed kick.
“I am really proud of the boys, we started off as we planned to but then got a yellow card for Semi with Freddie dipping low and conceded three tries there. We were down 10-0 on the penalty count, which I have never experienced.
“The boys’ fightback was tremendous. It is a funny feeling but we are on the right track. There is a long way to go in this competition, to get three points and score four tries is a great effort.
“The result is what we are after of course but we focus on the little things to make the performance and there was a lot to like about that.”
Radradra made his first Bristol appearance since April after undergoing knee surgery, while wing Deago Bailey replaced an injured Luke Morahan and two back-row changes saw starts for Sam Lewis and Jake Heenan.
England pair Freddie Steward and Ben Youngs returned from Autumn Nations Series duty for Leicester, with Jack van Poortvliet
on the bench, Kelly featured for the first time this season following his recovery from injury, and lock Ollie Chessum also returned.
Bristol had dropped to the Premiership basement following London Irish’s victory over Newcastle earlier on Saturday, but they started in confident mood.
Lewis was tackled just short of the line as Bristol pressed, but a supporting Radradra proved unstoppable from three metres out, and Leicester trailed after just five minutes.
Leicester were slow out of the blocks in comparison, yet they began to stir through No 8 Jasper Wiese’s midfield break and scrumhalf Ben Youngs charging down an attempted Sheedy clearance.
Burns then opened their account
with a 16th-minute penalty, and a second strike shortly afterwards nudged his team ahead.
The lead, though, proved shortlived as Bristol conjured a second try when Genge’s audacious flickpass found Sheedy and his pinpoint delivery sent Piutau clear to score before Sheedy added the touchline conversion.
It was impressive from Bristol but Radradra was then sin-binned following a reckless challenge on Burns, putting his team under pressure as Leicester pounced.
Kelly rewarded Tigers’ patience by touching down for their first try, then Ashton struck with Radradra still off the pitch, claiming his 98th Premiership touchdown.
Burns rejoined the action after passing a head injury assessment following the Radradra incident, and Bristol could not escape from a vice-like grip.
It was no surprise when the Tigers collected a third try on the stroke of half-time as Montoya crossed, before Burns’ conversion opened up a 23-12 interval advantage.
A scoreless third quarter threatened to put Bristol well and truly out of the contest and Burns completed a penalty hat-trick which left the home side two converted tries behind.
But Byrne powered over for Bristol’s third try, converted by MacGinty, with Van Wyk then sent off for his challenge on Genge, leaving Tigers permanently down to 14 players.
Bristol drew level when Ibitoye touched down following outstanding work by Genge, with MacGinty’s conversion denying Leicester the win. The fly-half, though, was unable to land a match-winning penalty.
Bristol: Charles Piutau; Deago Bailey, Semi Radradra, Piers O’Conor, Gabriel Ibitoye; Callum Sheedy; Will Porter; Ellis Genge, Bryan Byrne, Max Lahiff, Chris Vui, Joe Batley, Steven Luatua, Sam Lewis, Jake Heenan.
Replacements: Harry Thacker, Jake Woolmore, Jay Tyack, John Hawkins, Dan Thomas, Andy Uren, AJ MacGinty, Joe Jenkins.
Leicester: Freddie Steward; Chris Ashton, Guy Porter, Dan Kelly, Anthony Watson; Freddie Burns, Ben Youngs; James Whitcombe, Julian Montoya, Dan Cole, Harry Wells, Ollie Chessum, Hanro Liebenberg, Tommy Reffell, Jasper Wiese. Replacements: Charlie Clare, Francois van Wyk, Joe Heyes, Eli Snyman, George Martin, Jack van Poortvliet, Charlie Atkinson, Harry Potter.