The fixture schedule was different this week: for the first time it spread across three days, with Bears taking on Gloucester-Hartpury at 19.30 on Friday evening. And sure enough, it was freezing cold. Whose bright idea was this?
That helps to explain the lack of scoring, just a try in each half for Gloucester-Hartpury. The Bears’ management must be even more concerned than last week that such a strong team failed to mount a single point.
In sharp contrast G-H completed a second successive victory to consolidate their position as potential trophy winners for a second year running.
The visitors made the vital early breakthrough, Sarah Beckett going over on the far left. Emma Sing had no problem potting the conversion from the edge. 0-7
For the Bears it became a matter oif counting up the near misses. They had three big chances near the break: Reneeqa Bonner was just forced into touch near the line; Sing intercepted with G-H defences outnumbered; then the pack won a turnover as Bears mounted a driving maul.
These and other efforts remained unavailing.
Half-Time: 0-7
Scoring proved as troublesome as before, but it was the Bears who had to force the issue, and that only led to more errors, some unforced, others caused by intense pressure from the Cherry-and-White defences.
For all their power up front Bears failed to find a way through out behind. The attack coach will be pointing out too many lateral runs when a more direct approach was needed. Still it was only that single score that separated the teams through most of the game.
You can say G-H deserved to add a second try; their defence was quite outstanding. At the three-quarter mark Sing was on the end of a patient build-up fed by Lleucu George. Her conversion attempt, as tricky as the first, just fell short. 0-12
So they came, they saw, they conquered.
In front of an admirably large crowd for so cold an evening the Bears remained pontless. With international players everywhere you looked (see my census below), it was hard to explain a second bitterly disappointing performance. Five points from three games is not championship material. The message must be: ‘More clinical!’
For the Cherry-and-Whites this was ten wins on the trot against their local rivals. Either they have got a very fine team, or Sean Lynn is some coach. No, I’ll rephrase that: ‘both’ ‘and’.
Result: Bristol 0 Gloucester-Hartpury 12
Teams:
Bristol
15 LOVIBOND 14 HESKETH 13 MURRAY 12 REED (co-captain) 11 WILLS 10 AITCHISON 9 BURGESS 1 BOTTERMAN 2 ATKIN-DAViES 3 BERN 4 BURNS 5 WARD (co-captain) 6 GALLAGHER 7 JOHNES 8 R. MARSTON-MULHEARN
16 SKELDON 17 CLARKE 18 E. MARSTON-MULHEARN 19 CUNNINGHAM 20 BUTCHERS 21 BEVAN 22 M. SMITH 23 VARLEY
Glos-Pury
15 SING 14 VENNER 13 LUND 12 HEARD 11. K. TAYLOR 10 GEORGE 9 HUNT (captain) 1 PERRY 2 N. JONES 3 MUIR 4 BECKETT 5 MONAGHAN 6 CASTELLUCCI 7 BROCK 8 MATTHEWS
16 K. JONES 17 CARSON 18 TUIPULOTU 19 K. WILLIAMS 20 LEWIS 21 MATTINSON 22 GOULDEN 23 H. JONES
Officials:
Referee: Alex Thomas
ARs: Simon Adams and Kevin Williams
with thanks to rugbyreferee.net
A Census
Bears boasted the England front row, one of the two best lock forwards in world rugby and two others with England caps. Out behind two contracted Red Roses backs.
Glos-Pury had six England test players among their backs; four in the pack. Only one uncapped player in the starting XV
Strength in depth = on the bench:
Bears: five test players
G-H: seven test players
