BRISTOL BLOW AWAY NOTTS IN FIRST HALF STORM

Bristol racked up the the bonus point win in a blistering first half of high risk high reward rugby.  Sadly, the second half failed to live up to that standard and the home side stuttered in the face of a solid but uninspired Nottingham side.

In blustery conditions it was the visiting side that started rather the better.  They went close to the line with an early drive and then took the lead with a well-struck Jarvis penalty.  However, this was just the prelude to some fast paced rugby from Bristol that took the game away from Nottingham in just half an hour of play.

George Watkins took Bristol ahead after Man-of-the-Match Ruki Tipuna popped the ball out to Marco Mama who drew the defence and passed neatly out of the tackle for the winger to cross for a converted try.  It seemed that Notts would cancel the score out almost immediately but a dangerous break down the right wing ended tamely with the ball flung straight into touch.  Instead it was Watkins who raced in at the opposite end when a Jarvis pass was held up in the wind allowing him to seize the ball and race in from halfway with the chase giving up behind him.  He was almost away for a third with another interception but the referee called play back for Bristol knock-on earlier in the move.

Nottingham stuck to the task and scored a nice try when Calladine galloped over from a short lineout throw that found the Bristol defence collectively asleep.  The try served as a wake-up call and Mosses showed fine turn of pace and excellent balance to dance his way over following a powerful scrum from the Bristol pack.  The bonus point try came soon after when Tipuna and Watkins broke through in a lightning move and a very hopeful pass was collected by the diminutive Tristan Roberts who scuttled in out wide.  He superbly converted his own try to take Bristol in 26 – 11 at half time.

Roberts started the second half as he had finished the first with his second try following a quick tapped penalty and a well angled run that took him away from a flat-footed defence.  He again converted well for a commanding 33 – 11 lead.  I had remained in Idiot’s Corner because I thought the action would surely be down that end in the second half.  How wrong I was.  Roberts try was virtually it from Bristol for the rest of the game.

Instead it was Nottingham who showed tremendous patience as they laid siege to the Bristol line in the far corner.  A number of penalties went the visitors’ way, and it was surprising that no yellow card resulted.  Finally the pressure told and Shaw went over for a converted try.  The rest of the match was inconclusive and error-strewn.  The only real threat from Bristol came when Ryan Edwards powered down the left wing, only to be bundled into touch just a metre short of the line.