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Gloucester slipped to a fourth successive Gallagher PREM defeat of the season as west country rivals Bristol toppled them 49-34 at Kingsholm.
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The derby clash produced 12 tries, but Bristol made it three wins out of four thanks to doubles from Gabriel Oghre and Kalaveti Ravouvou, while Fitz Harding, Viliame Mata and Sam Worsley also crossed, with Worsley adding seven conversions for a 19-point haul.
Gloucester conjured five tries of their own – Will Joseph, Matias Alemanno, James Venter, Seb Blake and Josiah Edwards-Giraud crossing – with Ross Byrne kicking three conversions and a penalty.
But George Skivington’s team were once again left wondering what might have been, as a winning touch again eluded them.
Both clubs were minus numerous key players, with Tomos Williams and Seb Atkinson among those missing for Gloucester, while Bristol’s absentees included Louis Rees-Zammit, Ellis Genge and a suspended Tom Jordan.
Injuries had taken a significant early-season toll, with Bristol fielding only one member of the back division that started their Prem season opener against Leicester just 19 days ago.
And there was an immediate major concern for Gloucester when wing Ollie Thorley was carried off after a six-minute delay while he received treatment.
Bristol were already ahead by that point following a sharp break from full-back Benjamin Elizalde, with Worsley finishing off for a try in the corner and also converting as the visitors moved 7-0 ahead.
Byrne cut the gap through a short-range penalty, which was the cue for a spell of relentless Gloucester pressure that ended in a close-range touchdown for Alemanno before Byrne’s conversion left Bristol three points adrift.
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It was a commanding spell from Gloucester, yet Bristol hit back impressively, reverting to a tried and tested driven lineout move that ended with Oghre crossing and Worsley adding the extras.
And before Gloucester could regroup, they fell further behind when Bristol scrum-half Kieran Marmion sent Harding sprinting through a huge midfield gap to score. Worsley’s conversion made it 21-10.
Gloucester desperately needed points as half-time approached, and after centre Max Llewellyn was stopped inches short of the line, Blake powered over, then Thorley’s replacement Edwards-Giraud finished off a slick move and the home side trailed by just a point at the break.
Gloucester’s renaissance was halted midway through the third quarter as Oghre claimed his second try from another lineout drive, securing a bonus-point before Worsley kicked a fourth successive conversion and once again there was daylight between the teams.
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But it proved short-lived as Gloucester again hit back through excellent approach work by Edwards-Giraud, who found Joseph in support to claim his third Prem touchdown of the season. Byrne again converted.
Neither side could take the game by the scruff of the neck, yet Bristol struck again just after the hour-mark when Marmion delivered another of his defence-splitting passes and Mata enjoyed a simple finish.
The try-fest continued during the closing stages, with Ravouvou cancelling out Venter’s score, but Bristol finally got over the line to post an outstanding win.