Deago Bailey scored four times as Bristol Bears powered past Championship side Ampthill at Dillingham Park to keep their hopes of qualification for the Premiership Rugby Cup knockout stages alive.
Pat Lam’s side ran in 12 tries with Bristolian Bailey bagging a first-half hat-trick and adding a fourth early in the second period, while a Benjamin Elizalde double and further scores from Benjamin Grondona, Noah Heward, Kieran Marmion, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Tomas Gwilliam and Joe Jenkins completing the scoring.
The Bears opened the scoring just three minutes in when Benjamin Grondona powered on to a short pass from Marmion, before Bailey grabbed his first of the day, collecting Harry Byrne’s long, floated pass to score out wide.
Noah Heward raced over for his side’s third after a sweeping set-piece attack but left the field with injury shortly after.
Ampthill pulled a score back when Mason Cullen won the race to a loose ball, but Marmion quickly cancelled it out after good work from Will Capon in the build -up.
Elizalde scored either side of half time as the Bears raced past the 50-point mark, before Ravouvou raced clear from 50 metres for the visitors’ tenth try of the afternoon.
Tomas Gwilliam collected Josh Caulfield’s offload to score under the sticks after strong work from the returning second row, before Owain McNulty scored Ampthill’s second late on.
But the Bears had the final say with Joe Jenkins completing the scoring in Bedforshire.
Ampthill: Tries: Cullen 20, McNulty 78. Cons: Barton 20, 78. Yellow: Cullen 48
Bristol Bears: Tries: B Grondona 3, Bailey 9, 18, 34, 56, Heward 16, Marmion 23, Elizalde 32, 47, Ravouvou 67, Gwilliam 69, Jenkins 80. Cons: Byrne 3, 9, Elizalde 32, Janse van Rensburg 47, 56, 67, 69
