Rees-Zammit repays Bears' investment

SUNDAY WRAP: Louis Rees-Zammit made a try-scoring return to the Premiership as Bristol overcame a triple injury setback in beating Leicester 42-24 at Ashton Gate.

The Wales wing impressed on his first Premiership appearance since December 2023 after leaving Rugby Union to pursue an American Football career.

Training squad stints followed with Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did not make a regular-season appearance and was snapped up by Bristol as their star off-season signing.

And although he had limited chances in attack, a 60-metre breakaway score in the final minute showcased his quality as Bristol prevailed despite flyhalf AJ MacGinty suffering an Achilles injury, while hamstring issues forced off scrumhalf Harry Randall and wing Gabriel Ibitoye.

Rees-Zammit, Ibitoye, flank Fitz Harding, hooker Gabriel Oghre and replacement Josh Carrington scored Bristol’s tries in a bonus-point success, while Tom Jordan added four conversions and two penalties, with MacGinty also landing a penalty.

Wing Adam Radwan touched down twice for Leicester in Geoff Parling’s first Premiership game as head coach, with scrumhalves Jack van Poortvliet and Orlando Bailey also scoring and Bailey booting two conversions, but Tigers had to be content with a losing bonus point.

Rees-Zammit had his first touch inside the opening minute, and initial Bristol dominance was rewarded when MacGinty kicked a short-range penalty, but Leicester responded immediately as Van Poortvliet rounded off a flowing counter-attack and Bailey converted.

Bristol then suffered a major blow when MacGinty was forced out of the action after just 13 minutes. Carrington went on, with Scotland international Jordan moving from fullback to flyhalf as MacGinty’s replacement.

There was no let-up in the scoring, with Radwan breaking three tackles for Tigers’ second try as Bristol regrouped, and just when the home side needed points skipper Harding obliged on his 100th league appearance, touching down from close range and Jordan converted.

England coach Steve Borthwick looked on, and Radwan continued to impress, claiming a try double through another brilliant finish, but there was more injury woe for Bristol as scrumhalf Randall exited clutching his left hamstring.

Bristol were being tested in all areas, yet they refused to buckle and drew level after some crisp passing allowed Ibitoye sufficient space to score, with Jordan’s conversion squaring the contest 17-all at half time.

A Jordan penalty early in the second period nudged Bristol ahead, and his influence on proceedings grew impressively as he displayed assured tactical control.

Bristol’s injury problems would not ease, though, and Ibitoye went off due to hamstring trouble, but not before Oghre crashed over from close range and Jordan’s conversion opened a 10-point lead.

It was a dominant third-quarter display from the home side, yet Leicester finished it strongly courtesy of Bailey weaving his way over and adding the conversion, making it 27-24.

But back came Bristol, and Carrington’s strong finish gave his team sufficient breathing space to secure an impressive triumph over adversity that Rees-Zammit sealed late on.

* In the earlier game Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s try completed an astonishing second-half comeback by Exeter as the visitors claimed a 33-all Premiership draw at Northampton Saints.

This opening-weekend clash at Franklin’s Gardens looked to set to be a resounding home win as Saints surged into a 33-7 half-time lead with two tries from 19-year-old Edoardo Todaro on his league debut.

But roles were reversed after the break as Chiefs showed the sort of resilience they often lacked last season, and might even have won it had a late Henry Slade ‘try’ not been disallowed.

There was a late change to Exeter’s line-up as Ethan Roots, who would have captained the side, dropped out for Greg Fisilau with England centre Slade taking the armband.

It took the visitors just three minutes to open the scoring when Feyi-Waboso caught the home defence napping by scampering through untouched after picking up from the base of a ruck just inside the 22.

Slade added the conversion, but Northampton were level after 11 minutes when Alex Coles was able to barge his way over from a few metres following a strong carry from No.8 Callum Chick.

A break down the middle by George Hendy and Archie McParland, who was brilliantly stopped by Paul Brown-Bampoe, then led to Saints scoring a second try when Chick worked the ball left for Tom Pearson to dive in.

The hosts began to pull clear when quick hands from Hendy and James Ramm led to Todaro scoring his first try in the 28th minute.

The bonus point was secured after 32 minutes when Tom Litchfield charged clear from Fraser Dingwall’s reverse pass and resisted Brown-Bampoe’s attempted tackle to go over.

Todaro then had his second three minutes before the interval when he charged in from the left wing after being found in space by the impressive Hendy – Anthony Belleau’s fourth conversion opening a 26-point lead at the break.

Having been pulled from pillar to post, Exeter pulled a score back within three minutes of the restart when Brown-Bampoe got on the end of Stephen Varney’s well-weighted kick down the left.

Murmurs about an improbable comeback then grew louder after 54 minutes when Josh Hodge broke into the 22 before timing his pass to send Italy international Ross Vintcent under the posts.

The visitors really started to believe when Vintcent scored again from a quick line-out and the game was tied after 69 minutes when Feyi-Waboso limp galloped in from the right for a score converted by Slade.

The England star – who had recently battled past a hamstring issue – received treatment in the in-goal area before being removed from the field.

Hodge then received a 20-minute red card for a dangerous hit on Sam Graham, but it was Exeter who went closest to snatching the win when a Slade try was ruled out for a forward pass to Brown-Bampoe.

The Sunday scorers and scorers below …

Northampton Saints 33-33 Exeter Chiefs

The scorers

For Northampton Saints
Tries: Coles, Pearson, Todaro, Litchfield, Todaro
Cons: Belleau 4

For Exeter Chiefs
Tries: Feyi-Waboso 2, Brown-Bampoe, Vintcent 2
Cons: Slade 4

Red card: Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs, 71)

Teams

Northampton Saints: 15 George Hendy, 14 Edoardo Todaro, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Fraser Dingwall (c), 11 James Ramm, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Archie McParland, 8 Callum Chick, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Angus Scott-Young, 5 Ed Prowse, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Craig Wright, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 JJ Van Der Mescht, 20 Sam Graham, 21 Jonny Weimann, 22 Rory Hutchinson, 23 Toby Thame

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ben Hammersley, 11 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Ethan Roots (c), 6 Christ Tshiunza, 5 Lewis Pearson, 4 Rusi Tuima, 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19 Dafydd Jenkins, 20 Greg Fisilau, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Nick Lilley, 23 Kane James

Referee: Joe James
Assistant referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys and Jonathan Healy
TMO: Dan Jones

Bristol Bears 42-24 Leicester Tigers

The scorers

For Bristol Bears
Tries: Harding, Ibitoye, Oghre, Carrington, Rees-Zammit
Cons: Jordan 4
Pens: MacGinty, Jordan 2

For Leicester Tigers
Tries: Van Poortvliet, Radwan 2, Bailey
Cons: Bailey 2

Teams

Bristol Bears: 15 Tom Jordan, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Joe Jenkins, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Benjamin Grondona, 7 Fitz Harding (c), 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Joe Batley, 4. James Dun, 3 George Kloska, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Jake Woolmore
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Sam Grahamslaw, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 Joe Owen, 20 Viliame Mata, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 23 Josh Carrington

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Will Wand, 12 Joseph Woodward, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Orlando Bailey, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Olly Cracknell, 7 Emeka Ilione, 6 Hanro Liebenberg (c), 5 James Thompson, 4 Cameron Henderson, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Tarek Haffar, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Joshua Manz, 20 Joaquin Moro, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Solomone Kata

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Assistant referees: George Selwood and Calum Howard
TMO: David Rose