The Prem
Sale (10) 24
Tries: Cowan-Dickie, O’Flaherty 2 Cons: Ford 3 Pen: Ford
Bristol (20) 34
Tries: Rees-Zammit 2, Randall 2, Gwilliam Cons: Williams 3 Pen: Williams
Bristol Bears got their Prem campaign off to a fine start as they claimed a bonus-point triumph away to Sale Sharks.
With no newcomers in their starting line-up, Bristol showed the benefit of continuity as they ran in five tries to get up and running in style.
Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit got two of them, Harry Randall matched that with scores either side of half-time, before a 73rd-minute effort from replacement hooker Tomas Gwilliam made certain of victory.
But it was a disappointing first night for the Sharks, who lost no fewer than 13 Prem games last season.
Luke Cowan-Dickie’s try had put them ahead early on and Tom O’Flaherty scored two in the second half but they finished short of either of the bonus point markers.
Few Prem sides probably have as much to prove this season as Sale after their run of three successive play-off finishes was emphatically ended by a disappointing seventh place, and they also had a losing home record at CorpAcq Stadium.
They have brought back big names Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant from France to add more substance as they bid to get back into top-four contention, but this was not a good way to start for Alex Sanderson’s team.
The Bears were only one place, but 18 points, above their opponents in the final table in June although their last campaign was undermined by a raft of injuries.
That curse is already strong again this term with new signing from Bath, Ethan Staddon, suffering an ACL. But for director of rugby Pat Lam having a number of senior players back at his disposal has provided the freshness akin to that of new signings.
Fly-half MacGinty picked a severe Achilles injury in the opening game 12 months ago and did not play again last season. The USA international should have got the score moving on his return with an early penalty, only to pull his effort badly wide of the sticks – much to his own disgust.
That came back to haunt the visitors as Cowan-Dickie went over
Bristol thought they had responded when some smart opportunism from Rees-Zammit – in taking a quick lineout after the ball had squirmed past Tom O’Flaherty – put Scotland full-back Tom Jordan over, but that was ruled out as Sharks winger O’Flaherty had not touched the ball.
Rees-Zammit did get his try moments later after a big floated pass from James Williams gave him an easy finish.
A George Ford penalty pushed Sale’s advantage to five points, but Rees-Zammit’s second try brought his side level when he produced an acrobatic finish from Jordan’s zipped pass.
James Williams’ three-pointer had Bristol ahead and some fine sniping from scrum-half Randall saw him burrow over to give his side a 10-point cushion at the break.
O’Flaherty produced a nice finish to quickly bring Sale back into things in the second half but despite some belligerent home defending near their own line, Randall grabbed his second of the game.
A thrilling break from explosive Fiji back-row forward Elia Canakaivata on his Prem debut broke open the play and although he was brought down, O’Flaherty eventually finished off the move and it was a three-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.
But the Bears forwards produced the decisive move of the game as their driving maul overpowered their opponents with Gwilliam the man to get the ball down.
Sale tried to respond to the restored 10-point deficit but when Ford missed a penalty in the 79th minute, their hopes of a losing bonus-point and clawing their way back to parity had gone.
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam told Radio Bristol:
“I’m pleased for the guys because they got some evidence of what they put into pre-season.
“Everyone wants to be better every day and they got their rewards for it. It gives them a lot of confidence heading into next week.
(On what pleased him most): “The workrate. Defensively yes, there’s physicality but one area we’ve really worked on is boys getting back in the game and really helping their mates. That’s an area we continue to work on, but we won the physical battle today.”
Sale: Carpenter; O’Flaherty, Marchant, Ma’asi-White, Reed; Ford, Roe; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, van Rhyn (capt), Bamber, Lawes, T Curry, Vermuelen.
Replacements: Jibulu, Smith, Francis, Tshiunza, Dugdale, Warr, Lozowski, Canakaviata.
Bristol: Jordan; Rees-Zammit, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska, Rubiolo, Batley, Owen, Ivanishvili, Harding (capt).
Replacements: Gwilliam, Woolmore, Halliwell, Taylor, Luatua, Marmion, Pepper, Grondona.
Referee: Sara Cox