Bristol's play-off hopes take a blow as Quins snap PREM losing run

Bristol’s Gallagher Prem play-off hopes were dealt a major blow after they suffered an 18-14 defeat against struggling Harlequins at the Principality Stadium.

Billed as the west country club’s Big Day Out fixture, it fell flat on its face, with Quins ending a run of six successive Prem losses that had stretched back five months.

Tries from captain Alex Dombrandt and wing Rodrigo Isgro proved enough to keep Bristol at bay in front of a 45,000 crowd, while fly-half Jarrod Evans kicked a penalty and full-back Jamie Benson converted Isgro’s score before landing a 79th-minute penalty.

Bristol were never at the races, despite an early Fitz Harding try and James Williams conversion, and they slipped seven points behind fourth-placed Exeter with just six regular season games remaining, claiming a losing bonus through Steven Luatua’s late score that saw Williams again add the extras.

For their part, Quins closed the gap on Gloucester to one point and raised hopes of a possible top-eight finish that would mean Investec Champions Cup qualification for next season.

Quins thought they had taken a third-minute lead when Dombrandt crossed from close range, but it was ruled out for obstruction on Harding, and Bristol soon surged ahead.

Patient phase-play inside Quins’ 22 reaped its reward after an initial dart by scrum-half Harry Randall, before hooker Gabriel Oghre sent Harding over to claim a try that Williams converted.

Quins though, despite being without a league win since late October, did not resemble a team short on confidence, and they opened their account through a 23rd-minute touchdown from Dombrandt that cut the deficit to two points.

Bristol could not get their free-flowing game going, with neither side being helped by a constant stream of scrum penalties that contributed to a poor opening half as errors abounded.

Full-back Louis Rees-Zammit and lively Wales Under-20 international Aidan Boshoff made sterling efforts to move Bristol out of first gear, yet a 7-5 interval scoreline just about summed things up.

Evans kicked a short-range penalty to put Quins ahead 12 minutes into the second period, and Bristol remained out of sorts as the visitors extended their lead approaching the hour-mark.

They conjured a well-worked try for Isgro, converted by Benson, and Bristol boss Pat Lam summoned reinforcements off the bench as centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and wing Gabriel Ibitoye both joined the action.

Try as they might, Bristol could no find way through a well-organised Quins defence that featured England wing Cadan Murley – playing out of position in the centre – as a pivotal figure.

Bristol were repeatedly their own worst enemies, either making handling mistakes or lacking the required cutting edge, and there could be few complaints as Quins posted a first league away victory since toppling Saracens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March last year.