Penalty try helps Bristol beat Gloucester

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: A penalty try 14 minutes from time was enough to earn Bristol Bears a 28-24 win over West Country rivals Gloucester Rugby in Premiership Rugby.

Two tries just before the hour for Tom Marshall and Ollie Thorley looked to have swung the game Gloucester’s way, but Bristol then hit back with a powerful rolling maul and were able to see out the game.

The home side had made the perfect start with a try from Dan Thomas after just 82 seconds. It came as Charles Piutau put Steven Luatau through a gap. He offloaded to Luke Daniels who played the two-on-one perfectly to send Thomas over.

Gloucester hit back with a fine try of their own, Billy Twelvetrees and Danny Cipriani combining to put Jason Woodward over, but two penalties from Callum Sheedy gave Bristol an 11-7 half-time lead.

Twelvetrees cut the deficit to a point early in the second half before a brilliant counter-attacking try as Luke Morahan and Piutau sliced Gloucester open before putting Andy Uren over.

However that was when Gloucester hit back, Marshall finishing acrobatically and Thorley taking advantage of a Piutau error to make it 24-18.

Just as it seemed the game was slipping from Bristol’s grasp, they got back into the Gloucester 22, and with a big overlap Woodward slapped down a ball in the tackle and was sin-binned. Bristol went to the corner, set up their maul and Ed Slater dragged it down, conceding a penalty try and yellow card in the process.

The 13 men could still have sneaked it, with Twelvetrees uncharacteristically missing a shot at goal before Ian Madigan’s late long-range penalty wrapped up the win for the home side – their first over their rivals since 2008.

The scorers:

For Bristol Bears:
Tries: Thomas, Uren, Penalty try
Cons: Madigan, Penalty try dies not require a conversion
Pens: Sheedy 2, Madigan

For Gloucester:
Tries: Woodward, Marshall, Thorley
Cons: Twelvetress 3
Pen: Twelvetree

Yellow cards: Jason Woodward (Gloucester, 62), Ed Slater (Gloucester,66)

Bristol: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Siale Piutau,  11 Luke Daniels, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Jordan Crane, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 Steve Luatua, 5 Chris Vui, 4 Joe Batley, 3 John Afoa, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Yann Thomas
Replacements: 16 Sam Parry, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Lewis Thiede, 19 George Smith, 20 Jack Lam, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Mat Protheroe

Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Willi Heinz (captain), 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Jaco Kriel, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Ed Slater, 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 James Hanson, 1 Josh Hohneck
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Alex Seville, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Jake Polledri, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Matt Banahan

Referee: Karl Dickson
Assistant Referees: Tom Foley & Paul Dix.
TMO: Claire Hodnett.