Tainton plans swift return as Bristol head for relegation
This was Bristol’s 17th league defeat of a season to forget as Wasps ran in six tries to all but confirm the Ashton Gate side’s relegation back to the Championship.
Worcester’s victory over Bath on Saturday left Mark Tainton’s side needing a win to keep up their hopes of survival, but they were always facing an uphill battle against the league leaders yesterday.
In the end, the result was entirely predictable and leaves Bristol contemplating trips to Bedford, Rotherham and Jersey next season. They are now certain to finish bottom come the campaign’s end, with London Irish firm favourites to replace them.
Two of Irish, Yorkshire Carnegie, Ealing and Doncaster will contest the Championship play-off and if Ealing were to miraculously emerge on top, Bristol may yet have a stay of execution. But in all likelihood, they will drop down a division.
The arrival of incoming head coach Pat Lam, plus All Blacks back-row Steven Luatua and Ireland fly-half Ian Madigan, should ensure an immediate return to the top flight, and this game did show that at times Bristol can trouble the best in England.
Ultimately, though, they failed to make the most of their chances as Josh Bassett, Tommy Taylor and Joe Simpson all crossed for Wasps in the first half. Bassett added his second after the break and Christian Wade and Guy Thompson completed the scoring.
Jason Woodward, Jack O’Connell and Nick Fenton-Wells grabbed consolations, but Tainton, who succeeded the sacked Andy Robinson, was left downbeat.
“We are obviously very disappointed, but I’m immensely proud of that performance,” he said. “We put plans in place for next season to make sure we were in a good position, whatever league we were in, and hopefully we can bounce back quickly.
“There will be a lot of players moving on and some coming in. We’ve recruited well and I think the club is in a good position. We might not be in the Premiership, but hopefully we can get back up as soon as possible.
“The supporters have been fantastic this season and we have the infrastructure here to be a Premiership club. Hopefully the fans will come back next season.”
In the return fixture at the Ricoh Arena, Bristol had been hammered 70-22, conceding 10 tries, but they actually started the better of the two teams here. Wasps were soon behind as Bristol full-back Woodward picked up a loose ball and sprinted over from 55 metres. Gavin Henson converted for a sur- prise 7-0 lead, though the visitors soon woke up.
A turnover from Kurtley Beale gave Wasps the field position from which Bassett reached for the line and just three minutes later, hooker Taylor was driven over from the back of a driving maul.
Jimmy Gopperth converted both efforts but, although Bristol still refused to go away, Tainton’s side did not take what were at least four further opportunities to score. It allowed Wasps to give them a lesson in how to be clinical as Beale set up Simpson to cross for a comfortable half-time lead.
Nathan Hughes failed to return after the break after being forced off with concussion, but that failed to stop Wasps scoring three more simple tries.
Wade, on his 100th Premiership appearance, crossed for the bonuspoint effort in the 52nd minute and Bassett made it a brace for the day before Thompson completed the away scoring. There was still time for O’Connell and Fenton-Wells to trouble the scoreboard, Billy Searle converting both, but come the final whistle Bristol’s survival dream was dead. For Wasps it is a different story. They remain at the Premiership summit and are targeting a home play-off semi-final.
“We have the ability to score tries, but we need to stiffen up our defence,” their director of rugby, Dai Young, said: “In play-off games, we can’t allow teams to score 30 points and then try and score more than them.
“The reality is we would rather be at home in the play-offs. If we are away then we will deal with that, but it would be a tougher challenge. We need to finish the season strongly and get a home semi-final.
“We don’t want to go into the play-offs tired. It’s only six weeks until a potential final so we want to keep the players bubbling. To get there would be a great achievement, but it’s a while away yet.”