Bears claim convincing bonus-point win at Newcastle

Bristol centre James Williams scored the opening try of the night

Gallagher Premiership

Newcastle (3) 3

Pen: Connon

Bristol (5) 24

Tries: Williams, Naulago, Malins 2 Cons: MacGinty 2

Bristol Bears began the Premiership season with a convincing bonus-point win away to Newcastle Falcons.

The Bears just missed out on the play-offs last season but underlined their credentials to make the top four this time with some fine attacking rugby.

James Williams scored an early try before second-half scores from Siva Naulago and two from Max Malins secured the extra point.

Newcastle, who lost every match in the Premiership last season, had only a Brett Connon penalty shortly before half-time to show for their efforts.

Before this game, Newcastle’s wait for a Premiership victory stretched back 21 games and 546 days, with 18 defeats out of 18 last year with the nadir being the 85-14 evisceration handed out by these same opponents in April.

Unlike the last two seasons in which they finished bottom, there is jeopardy this campaign as the side who finishes last will face the winners of the Championship in a play-off to decide who competes in the top flight next season.

Bristol finished two points outside the top four in May, having enjoyed as many wins as both Bath and Saracens, who made the play-offs.

However, the Bears were playing catch-up after a wretched run of five straight losses in the autumn, which they could not quite recover from despite being the form side in the league in the new year with seven wins from their last eight.

Newcastle’s consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond had been bullish in pre-season and made a big point about improving fortunes at Kingston Park in particular, but their tryline was breached after little more than five minutes.

The visitors got good field position with the pack and made it count as second-row James Dun’s fine offload allowed Williams to score.

There could have been a second try for the Bears as they quickly got the ball through the backs only for Fiji winger Naulago to spill it when he had a possible run to the corner.

The home side were well in the contest at this stage, certainly in terms of territory, and got on the scoreboard when they won a scrum penalty right on half-time and Connon slotted it over to make it a two-point game.

Bristol scrum-half Harry Randall led a fine display from the Bears backs

Bears turn on style

But if the first half was fairly even, Bristol went up a gear after the break and their attack was a cut above anything Newcastle could offer.

That was underlined in their second try as a dart from England scrum-half Harry Randall put them in range, and it eventually ended with Benhard Janse van Rensburg’s flick pass being superbly touched down in the corner by Naulago.

They looked to kill the game off and went through the phases again near the line before England full-back Malins attacked it at speed to burst over from five yards.

And the full-back rounded off the scoring as he touched down following a delicious pinpoint kick from fly-half AJ MacGinty.

This difference in attack was highlighted in between those two Malins tries when Tom Gordon led a line break for the Falcons, only for centre Connor Doherty to drop the pass when a try was at their mercy.

It was perhaps the best example of how this season could yet be another one of struggle for the Premiership’s most northerly club.

Newcastle consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"We were highly competitive first half but didn't take our opportunities when we were on their line two or three times and couldn't get over.

"We were error-strewn. We only gave away eight penalties to 16 which tells you you're in a scrap but we went off the plan.

"We couldn't win a line-out for five or six attempts, so we couldn't build any momentum.

"Winning a game for this group is unchartered waters and we've got to put in a second half like we did first half."

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam said:

"That was tough. I don't believe the other eight teams are all going to come up here and win.

"There was a lot of niggle and backchat. At half-time, we said 'forget that' and just play and we did a professional job second half.

"There is a lot of positive stuff for our first game. We've got five points, and that's huge."

Newcastle: Obatoyimbo; Radwan, Doherty, Arnold, Stevenson; Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, Palframan, Hawkins, McDonald, Lockwood, Gordon, Chick.

Replacements: Fletcher, de Bruin, McCallum, Scott, Leatherbarrow, Brown, Redshaw, Davis.

Bristol: Malins; Naulago, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Lahiff, Dun, Batley, Luatua, Heenan, Harding.

Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Kloska, Caulfield, B Grondona, Marmion, Jenkins, Lane.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe