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Bath crushed in Premiership opener by the Hughes and Piutau show
Bristol secured the West Country bragging rights over Bath with a thumping 43-16 win before a record Ashton Gate crowd. A sell-out crowd of 26,399 saw this Gallagher Premiership season opener, the largest attendance for a sporting fixture since the stadium’s redevelopment concluded in 2016.
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Bristol ran in seven tries to claim a bonus point victory and register their determination to improve on last season’s ninth-place finish. Bath had to defend for long spells and only a combination of some careless Bears handling and Rhys Priestland’s kicking kept them in the contest until the final 15 minutes.
Bristol gave a Premiership debut to former Wasps number eight Nathan Hughes and veteran lock forward Dave Atwood made his first Bears appearance for over 10 years following his summer return from Bath. Hughes stormed towards the try-line in the first minute after Bristol instantly won turnover ball and Luke Morahan finished in the corner following some patient play and neat footwork from Charles Piutau.
Bath replied with a Priestland penalty, but most of the opening exchanges took place in their territory and Hughes’ debut try soon arrived. Hooker Harry Thacker fed Piutau with an inside ball and Hughes was on the New Zealander’s shoulder to score under the posts, with Callum Sheedy adding the extras.
Priestland cut the deficit with a 40-metre penalty but missed another from closer in to reduce the gap further. But Bath went in front when Aled Brew’s kick and chase set up a lineout five yards out after Mat Protheroe had scampered across from the other wing to save a try.
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Bath secured possession at the front and Zach Mercer drove through the maul to stretch for the line. Priestland converted from out wide and Bath led 13-12. The Bears had been sloppy after their bright start, but they pressed again and were rewarded for turning down a kickable penalty seconds from the interval.
Bath held up several drives close to the line but the ball was finally spun to the right for Protheroe to step inside and score. Sheedy missed a simple conversion for Bristol to lead 17-13 at half-time – a fair reflection on the balance of play.
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‘I love this time of year because it's a bit like the New Year after Christmas for a lot of people. It’s a fresh slate and a clean start’
– @chris_pennell tells @heagneyl that @WorcsWarriors are feeling very optimistic ahead of the new @premrugby season https://t.co/3It5PBbmME— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 16, 2019
Bristol extended their lead as Dan Thomas’ brilliant pick-up got the Bears’ backline moving again, and Hughes was in the outside channel this time to send Protheroe through. The wing was dragged down just short of the line, but Piers O’Connor was in support to secure a bonus point and Sheedy added the conversion.
Priestland kicked his third penalty, but Bath replacement Lewis Boyce was yellow-carded for a swinging arm after 65 minutes with Bristol camped on the try line. Bristol immediately made their one-man advantage count as prop John Afoa burrowed over from a maul and Sheedy added the touchline conversion.
Replacement Ioan Lloyd, at 18 the youngest player to play for the Bears in the Premiership, and Morahan’s second try wrapped up the win in the final moments.
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?? 7? tries ?
?? Record crowd at @ashtongatestad ??
?? @premrugby season off to flyer ?Full report from thumping derby victory in BS3. ?
— Bristol Bears (@BristolBears) October 18, 2019
“I’ve known Nathan since he was young, back home he was in my academy,” said Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam about his new Fijian-born number eight. “He’s a quality player. But number eights must have high involvement and he’s got to improve his aerobic capacity.
“I want what he can do for 80 minutes. We’ve been building him, and he’s trimmed about four kilos. He’s lost a lot of body fat and we’ve worked him hard with ball in hand. He can be a world-class player, not just bits and pieces. I’ve told Nathan I’m happy but not satisfied, as there’s more that he can do.”
– Press Association
WATCH: Former Australian international Matt Giteau sits down with RugbyPass in the latest episode of Rugby World Cup Memories
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments