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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bristol thrash Quins to book semi-final derby spot
Gallagher Premiership Bristol (26) 52 Tries: Kloska, Batley, Ravouvou, Mata, Ibitoye (2), Grondona, Janse van Rensburg Cons: MacGinty (6) Harlequins (12) 26 Tries: Murley (2), Dombrandt, Hammond Cons: Benson (3) Advertisement Bristol secured their Premiership semi-final at Bath in style with a superb attacking display in a 12-try epic at Ashton Gate. The Bears needed a win to be sure of a top-four spot and made the perfect start, registering a bonus point inside 24 minutes with close-range scores from George Kloska and Joe Batley and explosive Kalaveti Ravouvou and Viliame Mata tries. Cadan Murley's fine first-half double reduced the gap to a 14-point lead at the break. Gabriel Ibitoye extended the advantage to 31-12 soon after the restart but memories of the 2021 'Bristanbul' comeback by Quins at Ashton Gate loomed large as the visitors notched quickfire tries from Alex Dombrandt and George Hammond to go within five points. Advertisement However, scores from Santiago Grondona and Ibitoye settled the nerves before Benhard Janse van Rensburg brought up the half-century as the Bears booked a trip to their West Country neighbours on Friday night. Blistering start sets the tone for Bears Noah Heward made his first Bears start at full back since January after injury while Pat Lam handed Argentina international lock Pedro Rubiolo his Bears debut. With a semi-final spot out of reach Danny Wilson made three changes to the Quins starting XV as Jamie Benson made his first Premiership start at fly-half while Luke Northmore returned at centre and Nick David started at full back. Advertisement It took just 93 seconds for the hosts to break the deadlock as quick hands from MacGinty sent Ibitoye flying down the left wing and despite some good defence from Quins near their own line, prop George Kloska plunged over near the posts, with MacGinty slotting the extras. The second try arrived inside five mins as lock Joe Batley stretched to touch down over the line after another powerful drive, with MacGinty again converting. A penalty kick into the corner and a deep lineout paved the way for Luke Northmore to cross for Quins after an angled run on 10 minutes but the try was chalked-off for a forward pass from Dombrandt, who was then held-up over the line by Fitz Harding after a bulldozing run straight from the restart. Quins got back in it on 17 minutes when Murley raced onto a clever chip forward from Benson on the 22 to catch a high bouncing ball and plunge over, allowing Benson to add two points from infront of the posts. Advertisement Bristol extended their lead just three minutes later as Harry Randall found space on the right and Fijian flyer Ravouvou raced down the whitewash to acrobatically dive over in the corner for his 11th try of the campaign, though the conversion sailed wide. The onslaught continued and Mata produced a brilliant angled run and bulldozed his way under the posts through some rather static defence for Bristol's fourth try and a bonus point on 24 minutes, with MacGinty notching the conversion to make it 26-7. Bears' 16th try bonus point of the season is a new Premiership record. Batley was denied a second try by another forward pass to the left wing before MacGinty's pass was intercepted by Hammond in midfield and a long ball out wide paved the way for Murley to step inside his man and scorch down the left from inside his own half for his 11th try of the season just after the half-hour, though Benson missed the conversion attempt from out wide. Gabriel Ibitoye beats Jamie Benson to the line and finished as joint top try-scorer with Ollie Hassell-Collins with 13 [Getty Images] Bears battle back after nervy start Six minutes after the turnaround Quins replacement Sean Kerr almost broke away but Bears won back possession and Ravouvou's break down the left and some fine passing across the width of the field paved the way for Ibitoye to stroll into the right corner for his 12th try of the campaign, a new club record, against his former club, though the conversion was unsuccessful. Advertisement Bears nerved started jangling, as memories of the 28-point collapse in the 2021 semi-final against Quins returned as the visitors notched two converted tries in three minutes. Dombrandt reduced the arrears after a slick dummy through the line from Benson created space and Quins added another from close range on 52 minutes after a break from Northmore, with Hammond diving through a crowd to touch down on the line, with Benson's third conversion making it a five-point game. The hosts could breathe again on 58 minutes when Grondona plunged over to end a series of goalline probes, with MacGinty adding the two points, and some lightning hands and feet from MacGinty saw the ball spread to Ibitoye on the left to jink his way to the line for try number 13, the joint most in the league this season, with MacGinty adding the extras from the whitewash to restore the 19-point lead and bring up 1,000 in his Premiership career for Bears and Sale. As Quins wilted in the Bristol sunshine Bears were denied a penalty try for Benson's slap into touch behind the posts, however Janse van Rensburg barged through a gap to dot down behind the posts to bring up the half-century, with MacGinty adding his sixth conversion. Advertisement The hosts saw out the final 10 minutes without further alarm to register their biggest ever win over Harlequins, secure their return to the semi-finals for the first time in four years and book a mouthwatering clash at the Rec on Friday night. 'We know how to beat Bath' Pat Lam, Bristol director of rugby, told BBC Radio Bristol: "I am very proud of this group, this is probably one of the highlights of my time at Bristol Bears. "We know there's areas we can improve on. To be missing stardust players for several months at a time, the squad has really gelled together to get us through the tough times." Advertisement [On the derby date at the Rec on Friday night] "We're excited. Bath have only lost three games this year, and we've beaten them twice. "We've played them 14 times since we've been back in the Premiership, won all of them at Ashton Gate, once at the Principality and we've won more at the Rec than we've lost. "We know how to beat Bath. The challenge is it's now a semi-final. I have to get the game plan right." Quins head coach Danny Wilson said: "We started the game terribly today and it put us in a bit of a hole. "We were back in it at 31-26, but then Bristol capitalised on their opportunities. Advertisement "They are a very, very good side if you let them let rip. It has been a painful end to the season." Bristol: Heward, Ravouvou, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Thomas, Oghre, Kloska, Rubiolo, Batley, Grondona, Harding, Mata. Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Lahiff, Owen, Luatua, Marmion, Byrne, Bates. Harlequins: David; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Benson, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, J Green, Hammond, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt. Replacements: Jibulu, Els, Streeter, Launchbury, Lawday, Murray, Kerr, Halfpenny. Referee: Luke Pearce
The Guardian
29-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Finn Russell orchestrates seven-try win for leaders Bath over porous Harlequins
Those who prefer their rugby cagey and tactical would have left a sold-out Rec disappointed. Everyone else was treated to 11 tries – seven of them scored in the first half – as ball carriers ran over papier-mache tacklers and through porous defensive lines. And though it was thrilling, it often felt too easy for those on the attack, especially Finn Russell, who kept Bath ticking throughout their seven-try bonus-point win. The Scot outshone Marcus Smith, who was shown a yellow card in the first half and then shunted from fly-half to full-back when he returned from the sin-bin. No doubt Lions coach Andy Farrell was keeping note. Not that Smith could be blamed for the result. His teammates were bossed at the breakdown and could barely get a touch of the ball across a frenetic opening 24 minutes that saw four Bath players cross the line and two Harlequins players sent to the bin. With a 26-0 lead the home side had effectively secured the contest. Joe Cokanasiga got things going with a strong finish in the corner, holding off the challenge of Rodrigo Isgro, who was lucky to escape a straight red for a head-on-head hit. With the man advantage, Bath tore through Harlequins, with Ted Hill providing the finishing touch after several dominant carries. Then Smith was shown yellow for disrupting clean ball close to his own line and Ross Molony's close-range score widened the gap before Will Muir rounded off a blistering break on the left ignited by Max Ojomoh and the impressive Tom de Glanville. Harlequins would have been hoping for a repeat of the heist they pulled off back in 2021 when they overturned a 28-0 deficit to beat Bath in the Premiership semi-final at Ashton Gate. Luke Northmore started and finished a move and prop Titi Lamositele rumbled over to provide echoes of the game dubbed 'Bristanbul'. Bath, though, would have the final word of the half with a second for Muir on the left following a 30-metre run from hooker Tom Dunn, who gathered a lucky bounce off a contestable kick. It was more of the same in the second half. Fin Baxter, one of three returning England players alongside Smith and Chandler Cunningham-South, barrelled over to keep the faint hope of a comeback alive. That looked less likely when Ojomoh burst from midfield to snatch an interception and run home from 80 metres. Russell's extras stretched the lead to 19. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Russell had the ball on a string throughout. His job was made easier thanks to Bath's dominance in contact that was maintained with the introduction of four forwards before the hour, including the South African prop Francois van Wyk, who ran a superb support line off Ben Spencer's shoulder to cap off a swift counterattack from an aimless box kick from Danny Care. Bath could have had more were it not for Cameron Redpath's knock-on in space and Cokanasiga's forward pass to Spencer on the wing. Instead it was Sam Riley with the final try four minutes from time to secure a bonus point for Harlequins.
