BONUS POINTS ALL ROUND!

Having led since the first minute, the hopes of London Welsh were dashed in the last, when a marvelous try from Jack Tovey equalised and  Matty James' conversion took Bristol in front.  Four tries apiece and a great advert for Championship rugby

The Welsh kick-off was a good one switching the kick from right-to-left. The Bristol scrum was initially dominant pass out from the back from Iain grieve the straight into the arms of Lewis who  romped over untouched for an unconverted try with scarcely a minute played. The restart was superbly claimed by a combative Jason Hobson and Bristol probed away around the Welsh 22. Welsh looked well offside a couple of times, but the officials were oblivious. They then spotted a Bristol offence to give Welsh the relieving penalty.

A long high kick from Welsh was well taken by Sean Marsden, but the visitors reclaimed possession as Bristol kicked away the ball. Fortunately, Welsh knocked on; the Bristol scrum was again dominant with the Welsh penalised. The kick went to touch but Bristol's attempt to run was halted by an accidental offside.

Welsh attacked swiftly from the lineout and carved through weak and poorly aligned defence for Tonga'uiha to cross beneath the posts 0 - 12 following the conversion. Bristol tried to make inroads into the Welsh defence but a clumsy knock-on gave the ball straight into the Welsh winger's hands. The Welsh scrum continued to struggle and was penalised again. The drive from the lineout was pulled down and then Bristol knocked on. This was the prelude to a great Bristol counterfrom deep with Sean Marsden clearing up the loose ball inside his own 22 and having the vision to pass onto Josh Ovens. Ovens in turn had the pace to take the ball on well. He flipped the ball out of the tackle to the supporting Marsden, who in turn was able to release Rhys Lawrence on the left wing. He sprinted away from the covering defence to score. 7-12 following the conversion.

Another fine scrum from Bristol turned over Welsh and as Bristol hammered away the visiting side were penalised. Bristol kicked to touch on the Welsh 22. The Exiles were penalised at the lineout and this time the kick was for the posts. There was no mistake from Matty James and the score was 10-12. In typical Bristol fashion a penalty was then given away almost from the restart. Spot-on from Ross: 10-15.

Bristol tried to strike back but a kick ahead bounced fortuitously into the Welsh hands. Another penalty to Welsh and they sent it to touch. They look dangerous and a nice line, combined with poor defensive alignment let Thrower shoot through into space for another easy, but unconverted try.

Bristol gave away possession by failing to compete at a ruck and then engaged in an aimless kicking duel, mercifully terminated when the Welsh fly half kicked it dead. Yet another scrum penalty to Bristol, only for the hard earned possession to be coughed up the lineout. Bristol managed to win back possession only for James’ kick out to the winger to sail straight into touch.

Welsh launched another threatening backs move, only to be penalised in the face of improved Bristol defence. Still, they look more incisive and dangerous; and Bristol gave away a sloppy penalty that floated over for 10-23. Another excellent Bristol scrum saw a strike against the head and the forwards drove and drove again. Up to the try line, and a penalty. Surely, with time running out, it should have been scrum? Instead, Bristol went to the post but James was narrowly wide with the last action of the first half.

Bristol gave away early possession, failing to claim a high ball which bounced into Welsh hands. Only a determined chase back from Jon Goodridge prevented a try as the Welsh player was hauled down just 5 m out. Welsh pressured but ‘truck and trailer’ was their downfall. The touch finder from James was good and the Bristol scrum-half, Tom Slater, made an excellent break, fed the ball out to George Watkins, who had the pace, strength, and awareness to dot down behind the posts for a converted try and 17-23 at the start the second half.

Bristol looked revitalised and launched another attack only to be slowed up out left by good Welsh defence. The ball was turned over, and Welsh attacked from deep but were tackled into touch as they approached halfway. More good play from Bristol and James sent out a kick to the right wing, to dismayed cries from sections of the crowd. They were wrong, though, as it went perfectly into the grasp of the onrushing Watkins, who romped in for an unconverted try but taking his side to within one point of the visitors.

London Welsh were straight back at Bristol and a poor penalty let Welsh edge three points further in front at 22-26. A loose Welsh kick was well fielded by James who set up Marston on an excellent well angled run into Welsh territory. The visitors were penalised for offside and James cancelled out the Welsh penalty, moving Bristol back to within one point.

A marvellous rolling maul from Bristol drove the Welsh pack into their own half, only for a sloppy penalty to let Welsh kick back into the Bristol 22. Welsh tried to take a leaf out of the Bristol book with the kick into the corner but it was overcooked and went dead. Sadly, Bristol gave away a free-kick at the scrum and Welsh were over out left when poorly aligned defence allowed their excellent number 8, Jackson, to power over. The conversion was a good one and Welsh now led 25-33. Falling into the Bristol habit, Welsh then gave away a penalty almost from the restart. It was made to look easy by James and it was 28-33. Time was running out but Bristol worked well into the Welsh half with a neat kicking game. The exiles were in trouble and gave away a penalty at the scrum (no surprise). The kick to the corner from Bristol and the lineout. The forwards plugged away right up to the line. A barely legal turnover to Welsh but the clearing kick made little ground, but Bristol gave away a free-kick at the lineout to let Welsh off the hook.

But no, Bristol take the next lineout , now far from the Welsh try line. A superb line break from Merriman and then the awareness from him to pass on to Jack Tovey, who wove his way through the defence, out and then in, to score a try beneath the posts. James converted and suddenly Bristol were ahead for the first time in the game with 84 minutes shown on the clock. Could Bristol hold out? Yes they could, with Welsh’s desperate last foray into the Bristol half ending in a penalty to Bristol. Cue jubilation from the Bristol support and dancing on the terraces (seriously).