Bristol Bears score 11 tries to defeat Bedford Blues 67-14 in the Premiership Rugby Cup
11/03/2024 04:46 AM
By Ben Thorne
A rampant Bristol Bears ran in 11 tries, to defeat their Championship opposition, Bedford Blues, 67-14 in the Premiership Rugby Cup at Ashton Gate.
The Bears started very quickly, scoring seven tries inside the opening half an hour of the game, with young fly half, Sam Worsley, pulling the strings for the West Country side.
Bedford seemed renewed late in the first period as Tommy Herman and Will Maisey crashed over, cutting the score to 43-14 at the interval.
It was more of the same in the second half, as Bristol added four more tries including a Kalaveti Ravouvou brace, with Bedford scoring another of their own in the latter stages of the game.
Bristol raced into an early lead, after a number of phases on the edge of the 22, Worsley threw a flat pass to Joe Jenkins who broke through the Bedford defence to score after two minutes.
The Bears scored again four minutes later as Harry Thacker connected with Kieran Marmion to dot down, giving the hosts a 14 point lead.
The score grew to 21-0 in the 13th minute, Toby Fricker received the ball from Thacker on a looping run, after a well-worked lineout set piece, to score off the first phase of their attack.
Bristol used their lineout effectively again for their fourth score, Thacker himself crashed over the tryline from the back of a driving maul.
A minute after coming onto the field, Jack Bates crossed the paint in the corner to extend the lead to 31-0 after just 22 minutes.
Benjamin Elizalde was the next name on the score sheet; Bristol attacked from deep inside their own 22 and after a remarkable Ravouvou run, the ball was spun wide to the full back on the right wing to dive over.
The Bears played some wonderful free flowing rugby, working their way into the Bedford 22 after a lineout was overthrown to Ravouvou. Yann Thomas crashed over in the 30th minute following a number of phases close to the visitors try line.
Worsley converted Thomas' try to take the score to 43-0.
Bedford pulled one back in the 35th minute; a Bristol error from their own lineout gave the Blues a penalty which led to a five metre lineout.
The hosts did well to defend the initial driving maul but after numerous carries deep in Bears territory, hooker Herman crashed over to make the score 43-7.
The Blues scored another in the 39th minute as Maisey intercepted a loose Bristol pass and managed to evade Ravouvou, to dot down in the right corner. The fly half converted his own try, making the half time score 43-14.
Bedford looked to have started the second half in a similar fashion as to how they finished the first, as James Lennon carried into the Bristol in-goal area but his opposite man, Marmion, did well to hold him up.
The first try of the second period didn't come until the 54th minute when Jake Heenan scored his side's second driving maul try of the afternoon.
The try was Heenan's last action of the match as he was replaced by hooker, Will Capon, with Thacker moving into the back row.
Bristol's ninth try was created by a piece of Worsley brilliance, the fly half chipped the ball over the on rushing Bedford defence, the ball bounced off the post protector and into the arms of Ravouvou who scored under the posts.
Elizalde kicked the extras, taking the score to 55-14.
Ravouvou scored his second five minutes later; Marmion took a tap penalty from deep inside his own 22 and raced into the Blues half before passing to the Fijian centre who scored between the sticks.
Bristol Bears scored again in the 71st minute, Thacker rumbled over from the back of another Bears driving maul to make the score 67-14.
Five minutes later Bedford scored a late consolation try as Alfie Garside reacted fastest to a turnover, taking the ball and running around the Bristol defence to dive over.
The conversion was missed, making the score 67-19 as it remained until the full time whistle.
BRISTOL BEARS: 67
TRIES: 11 (J Jenkins 2', Marmion 6', Fricker 12', Thacker 19', 71', Bates 22', Elizalde 26', Thomas 30', Heenan 54', Ravouvou 61', 66')
CONVERSIONS: 6 (Worsley 3', 7' 13', 31', Elizalde 62', 67')
PENALTIES: 0
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 0
RED CARDS: 0
15. Benjamin Elizalde 14. Toby Fricker 13. Kalaveti Ravouvou 12. Joe Jenkins 11. Deago Bailey 10. Sam Worsley 9. Kieran Marmion 1. Yann Thomas 2. Harry Thacker 3. Lovejoy Chawatama 4. Kenzie Jenkins 5. Joe Owen 6. Paddy Pearce 7. Jake Heenan (c) 8. Benjamin Grondona
Replcements
16. Will Capon 17. Louie Trevett 18. Jimmy Halliwell 19. Tom Doughty 20. Aaron Tull 21. Sam Edwards 22. Jack Bates 23. Harry Rowson
BEDFORD BLUES: 19
TRIES: 3 (Herman 35', Maisey 39', Garside 76')
CONVERSIONS: 2 (Maisey 36', 40')
PENALTIES: 0
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 0
RED CARDS: 0
15. Matt Worley 14. Will Glister 13. Alfie Garside 12. Lucas Titherington 11. Dean Adamson 10. Will Maisey 9. James Lennon 1. Joey Conway 2. Tommy Herman 3. Beltus Nonleh 4. Shay Kerry 5. George Smith 6. Luke Frost 7. Joe Howard (c) 8. Archie Benson
Replacements
16. James Fish 17. Jamie Jack 18. Oisin Heffernan 19. Rory Ward 20. Jac Arthur 21. Alex Day 22. Louis James 23. Joel Matavesi
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