BRISTOL Rugby have guaranteed they will finish the regular season on top of the GKIPA Championship, after securing a bonus-point win over London Welsh at the Memorial Stadium.
Ben Mosses scored twice for Bristol, with George Watkins and Mitch Eadie also crossing, as Bristol led 22-0 before Welsh scored three late tries, including two from Joe Ajuwa.
The visitors also had Richard Thorpe sent off late in the game after the television match official spotted him appear to rain blows on Bristol prop Jason Hobson.
The opening exchanges were thunderous and more than a little tense, with both sides sussing each other out – and the expected battle between Bristol’s attack and Welsh’s defence shaping up.
That was the overall pattern of the first half – with Bristol turning down their kicks at goal to test Welsh’s defence at the line-out drive.
Initially Welsh – whose defence is the best in the Championship – held out, but Bristol’s attack – the best in the Championship – continued to knock at the door.
In fact, Welsh barely threatened the Bristol 22 during the first half, so tied up were they in thwarting Bristol’s wide-ranging attack.
Key for Bristol was remaining patient – and that they did. They finally broke through the red wall in the 35th minute, when Andy Short went close on the left, and Bristol quickly opened up Welsh on the right, with Nicky Robinson finding Mosses, who floated a delicious long pass into the grateful hands of Watkins, who finished smartly. Robinson missed the conversion attempt – but Bristol, despite regularly turning down three-point attempts, led 5-0 at half-time.
The match came to life in the second half.
After a lengthy delay while Welsh full-back Toby L’Estrange was treated on the field, before leaving on a stretcher, Bristol began to find their flow.
They conjured a second try after running a penalty, with Jack Tovey jinking his way through, before Mark Sorenson arrived at the ruck and threw a fly-half’s pass into the hands of Eadie, who scored in the corner.
Bristol did not have to wait long for a third try. They initially spurned a decent scoring opportunity when the ball was moved along the line and Rhys Lawrence could not hold it. But, from the resulting scrum, they shoved Welsh into all kinds of trouble, and Luke Baldwin and Robinson combined to send Mosses to the line. Robinson’s conversion made it 17-0.
But that soon became 22-0, when Bristol worked through the phases, with Ben Glynn taking the ball up, Short getting close to the line, and then Robinson finding Mosses, who showed agility and power to get over.
Welsh fought back – as a team of their quality was always likely to do – with Chris Cook burrowing over from close range. Referee Luke Pearce opted not to use the television official, even though replays were inconclusive as to whether Cook got over the line.
Joe Ajuwa soon added a second try for Welsh to make it 22-14 – finishing well after Seb Stegmann ran the ball out of his own defence. But Welsh were reduced to 14 men when Thorpe was caught on camera appearing to throw a number of punches at Hobson, with Bristol finally choosing to kick for the posts – and Robinson making it 25-14.
Welsh added a third try, giving them a losing bonus point, when Ajuwa showed further power and pace off the final move of the match – but Bristol had done enough to guarantee top spot in the Championship.
They have now won 12 league games in a row, taking 10 try bonus points in the process, and will be able to choose whether they play home or away first in both the semi-final and, should they get that far, the final.
Bristol: A Slowik; G Watkins, J Tovey, B Mosses (A Hughes 79), A Short; N Robinson, L Baldwin (C Braley 79); J Hall, R Lawrence (S McInally 79), G Cortes (J Hobson 74), B Glynn, M Sorenson (capt; G Townson 80), N Koster (B Skirving 74), M Mama, M Eadie. Rep not used: A Jarvis.
Scorers: Tries – Watkins, Eadie, Mosses (2). Con – Robinson. Pen – Robinson.
London Welsh: T L’Estrange (J Tincknell 42); S Stegmann, T May (capt), H Tonga’uiha, J Ajuwa; A Davies, T Keats (C Cook 52); T Bristow (N Trevett 41), N Vella (N Morris 68), P Edwards (C Griffiths 68), W Spencer (B West 64), M Corker, R Thorpe, C Kirwan, D Browne (J Quill 68).
Scorers: Tries – Cook, Ajuwa (2). Cons – Davies (3).
Sent off: Thorpe (80, punching).
Referee: L Pearce. Att: 8,601.
Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/story/215115.html
FULL-TIME: Bristol Rugby 25 London Welsh 21
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