BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | English | Bristol 23-7 Newcastle

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Last Updated: Sunday, 9 April 2006, 16:38 GMT 17:38 UK

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Bristol 23-7 Newcastle

Bristol: (13) 23
Tries: Lemi (2)
Cons: Strange (2)
Pens: Strange (3)

Newcastle: (7) 7
Try: Burke
Con: Flood

Bristol completed the double over the Falcons and in the process edged closer to securing their Premiership status.

The hosts were 13-7 up at the interval with a try from David Lemi which was converted by Jason Strange who added two penalties before the break.

Newcastle's response came in the form of a try from full-back Matthew Burke with Toby Flood adding the conversion.

After Strange kicked his third penalty in the match, he added the conversion to Lemi's second try of the afternoon.

Bristol head coach Richard Hill:
"We can consider ourselves safe but we don't want to celebrate just yet because we want to produce a reasonable performance against Bath next Saturday.

"It would be wrong of us to relax with the supporters wanting us to get a second double of the season next week.

"Retaining our Premiership status has come a little earlier than we had anticipated but we didn't want to go into our 22nd match at Leicester needing a victory.

"We have done it two games earlier than planned which is remarkable as far as the players are concerned as they have exceeded all our expectations so all credit to them."

Newcastle director of rugby Rob Andrew:
"We felt comfortable at half-time being just six points behind and we thought the game was ours for the taking having coped well in the first half scoring a try into the wind.

"Unfortunately Bristol's second try came from a clear forward pass, it is not a gripe but a fact.

"It was about two yards forward which everyone saw except the referee, but never mind.

"That then allowed Bristol to dictate the pace of the last quarter which they did extremely well - though not a lot happened in that spell.

"I didn't think there was a lot to choose between the two teams."

Bristol: Going; L Robinson, Higgitt, Cox, Lima; Strange, Perry; Hilton, Regan, Crompton; Budgett, Llewellyn; Salter (capt), El Abd, Ward-Smith.
Replacements: Irish, Nelson, Winters, Sambucetti, Short/Lewis, Gray, Lemi.

Newcastle: Burke; May, Noon, Mayerhofler, Shaw; Flood, Charlton; Ward, Long, Morris; Perry, Buist; McCarthy, Harris, Charvis (capt).
Replacements: Williams, Thompson, Finegan, Woods,Grindal, Walder, Elliott.

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