Bristol inflict bruising first loss on rivals Bath

Argentina's Santiago Grondona scored twice on his Bristol debut after missing all of last season with injury

Gallagher Premiership

Bath: (7) 26

Tries: Harris, Butt, Molony, Lawrence Cons: Russell 3

Bristol: (26) 36

Tries: Malins, Grondona 2, Janse van Rensburg, Oghre Cons: MacGinty 4 Pen: MacGinty

Bristol inflicted a first defeat of the season on an out-of-sorts Bath in a dominant West Country derby display at a sold-out Recreation Ground.

The Bears raced to a 19-point lead and bonus point in the first 40 minutes through tries from Max Malins, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and two from debutant Santiago Grondona, with only Sam Harris on the scoreboard for Bath.

An unusually error-riddled Bath saw two tries chalked off by the TMO, before quickfire scores from Will Butt and Ross Molony pulled them to within six points with 22 minutes left.

But Gabriel Oghre’s try extended Bristol’s cushion before Ollie Lawrence scored a late fourth try for Bath to ensure they at least took a consolation bonus point.

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Having suffered a derby loss to neighbours Gloucester last Friday, Bristol were determined to not make it two in two weeks against Bath as they capitalised on a lacklustre performance by the hosts, who had won their opening two Premiership games.

The Bears had a try on the board inside 90 seconds after a mis-thrown line-out – the first of many from Bath – gifted them possession. Gabriel Ibitoye sprinted through a gap and with three players on the overlap, he offloaded to Malins to race into the corner and take his tally to five tries in three games.

Bath thought they had responded through Ted Hill in the corner but saw the try chalked off for a knock-on following a TMO review.

They did belatedly get their rewards when Harris, in at full-back with Will Muir and Joe Cokanasiga both injured, pulled off a moment of individual magic, collecting a high kick and weaving past defenders to run over unopposed.

Yet it was a fleeting moment as Bristol were back in front shortly after when Argentine international Grondona, who missed the whole of last season with a knee injury, skipped through a tackle and barged over.

Bristol’s attack fizzed with more energy and execution, but they were helped when another poor Bath line-out went loose over the top.

The Bears won an attacking line-out and when Bath infringed, a quick-thinking tap-and-go penalty from Oghre set up Janse van Rensburg to bowl over for their third to make it 19-7.

Max Lahiff was held up over the line as Bristol pushed for their fourth and the pressure did not relent as Grondona doubled his tally under the posts.

Max Malins already has five Premiership tries to his name this season

An AJ MacGinty penalty straight after half-time stretched Bristol’s lead as Bath continued to make hard work of things.

They were repelled on four occasions within sight of the line and only after Grondona was sent to the sin-bin did Bath get over the line, only for Guy Pepper’s score to be overruled by the TMO for another knock-on.

Bath finally scored their second after 55 minutes as Finn Russell spotted space and threw a cut-out pass for Butt to dive into the corner to make it 29-14.

The Scotland fly-half then skipped through a gap in the middle and as the cover defence close in, he passed inside to Molony to narrow the score to 21-29 and give Bath hope of a comeback.

Oghre settled Bristol nerves as he scored from close range and the visitors' defence held firm until Lawrence's try in the corner three minutes from time.

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol:

"Not good enough on the day, I felt we created a lot and didn't use our opportunities.

"From a disciplined bit in the middle of the pitch we gave them too many opportunities, too many entries, they took theirs.

"At the start of the second half we had six penalties but only scored on the seventh one. Enough opportunities but not clinical enough.

"We are tough to beat, we fought our way back into contention and then we concede the yellow card and that made it difficult. We take our point and move on."

Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol:

“The boys know what this game means and it means more beating them here.

“The boys came out and beat the team who’s on form, the team who everyone thinks is going to win the competition. Long way to go but that’s a big one for us.

“After we scored and we gave away a penalty, the boys just stayed there [on the try line], eventually something gave but the thing I was pleased about was they had a lot of goes trying to get in there and they eventually cracked it.

“It just shows the character of the boys down to 14. They had their burst. We made a couple of mistakes and to go back and score straight away and put it back on them was class."

Bath: Harris, De Glanville, Lawrence, Butt, McConnochie, Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Annett, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Reid.

Replacements: Dunn, Van Wyk, Stuart, Molony, Underhill, Schreuder, Redpath, Coetzee.

Sin-bin: Underhill (61 mins)

Bristol: Malins, Lane, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye, MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Lahiff, Dun, Batley, Luatua, Grondona, Harding (c).

Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Kloska, Owen, Grondona, Marmion, Jenkins, Bates.

Sin-bin: Grondona (48 mins)

Referee: Christophe Ridley