 | POWERGEN CUP Bath (8) 25
Tries: Nixon, Cheeseman
Pens: Barkley 5
Bristol (3) 10
Try: Nicholls
Con: Gray
Pen: Gray Att: 8,990 |
Bath got their Powergen Cup campaign off to a winning start on Saturday but were made to work by their neighbours. The home side dominated much of the tie and moved 8-3 ahead after a Pieter Dixon try on the stroke of half-time.
Bristol hit back two minutes after the re-start when Greg Nicholls touched down and Danny Gray converted.
But Olly Barkley kept Bath out of danger with five penalties in the game before Tom Cheeseman ensured the win with a last-ditch try.
Bristol boss Richard Hill had opted to rest all 15 of the players that lost to London Irish the previous weekend.
Despite that, his B team showed dogged enough defence to keep Bath at bay until David Bory came across from the left wing to pick a gap and send Dixon on his way in the 40th minute.
Bristol, though, were not to be denied immediately and hit back through Nicholls' try from a tap penalty two minutes into the second half.
Gray duly converted but, from there, Bristol let themselves down with poor discipline which enabled Barkley to keep Bath one step ahead to the final whistle.
Bath coach John Connolly:
"It (Hill's decision to select an under-strength line-up) was a good call, and I have no problems with it.
"His goal is to stay up, and that's a sensible approach.
"It does de-value the competition, but clubs are prioritising the competitions they target."
Bristol coach Richard Hill:
"I really enjoyed today - I'm delighted. I was a bit concerned that we might struggle in the front five - but I can't fault anyone.
"It was a massive effort, and what really pleased me was that when we had the ball we showed ambition and moved it superbly well.
"The players know that we have given Bath a game."
Bath: Abendanon, Bory, Cheeseman, Davis, Higgins, Barkley, Wood, Stevens, Dixon, Bell, Borthwick, Grewcock, Beattie, Scaysbrook, Delve.
Replacements: Finau for Bory (56), Malone for Barkley (75), Williams for Wood (75), Barnes for Stevens (62), Mears for Dixon (62), Hudson for Borthwick (80), Goodman for Delve (68).
Bristol: Marsden, Stanojevic, Cox, Denney, Lemi, Gray, Nicholls, Irish, N. Clarke, Thompson, Kohn, Hodge, Winters, El Abd, Ward-Smith.
Replacements: Pritchard for Gray (80), Rauluni for Nicholls (62), Howick for Thompson (73), Attwood for Kohn (73), Pennycook for Ward-Smith (69).
Not Used: Hiett, Reay.
Ref: R Debney (RFU).
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
