Bristol Bears signed off their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign with a six-try victory over West Country rivals Bath at Ashton Gate.

Pat Lam’s side scored three times in each half, with tries from Fitz Harding, the returning Siva Naulago and Viliame Mata cancelling out a trio of Bath scores from Ruaridh McConnochie, Cam Redpath and Tom Carr-Smith, as the sides headed into the break level at 21 apiece.

But the Bears powered clear after the interval, with Harry Byrne, Harry Rowson and Sam Wolstenholme completing the scoring, while keeping the visitors scoreless in the second 40.

It was fast start from the Bears, who opened the scoring courtesy of skipper Harding, powering over from close range after Steven Luatua’s initial surge had taken them within striking distance.

Bath responded immediately when McConnochie collected a loose ball inside the Bears 22 to touch down in the corner, while at the other end, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg in the sin-bin, Naulago’s incisive finish – collecting Byrne’s deft pullback pass to go under the sticks, after the Irishman’s sensational 50:22 – saw the hosts retake the lead.

But as they had done first time around, Bath levelled the scores from the restart with Redpath the beneficiary of a turnover inside the Bears 22 to scoot over, before Carr-Smith raced clear from 40 metres to edge the visitors in front.

Mata’s muscular close-range finish levelled it up at the interval, before Bath were reduced to 14 men early in the second period, with try scorer Carr-Smith shown a yellow card a cynical offside deep in Bath territory.

The Bears took immediate advantage with the impressive Byrne leaping over the breakdown to score his first try in Bristol colours, before Harry Rowson put the game beyond Bath ten minutes from time, sliding in after a well-worked line break from replacement prop Sam Grahamslaw.

There was still time for a sixth try for the home side, as Sam Wolstenholme sniped his way to the line to complete the scoring and seal an eighth successive victory over Bath at Ashton Gate.

Bristol Bears: Tries: Harding 5, Naulago 15, Mata 40, Byrne 58, Rowson 70, Wolstenholme 79. Cons: Byrne 5, 15, Janse van Rensburg 40, 58, Worsley 79. Yellow: Janse van Rensburg 11

Bath Rugby: Tries: McConnochie 7, Redpath 16, Carr-Smith 19. Cons: Bailey 7, 16, 19. Yellow: Carr-Smith 50