Bristol Bears ran in eight tries to storm to a bonus-point victory over a gritty Newcastle Falcons side at a rain-soaked Ashton Gate and strengthen their hold on the Gallagher Premiership’s Play-Off places.
Two tries apiece from Kalaveti Ravouvou and Noah Heward and further scores from Gabriel Oghre, Viliame Mata, Kieran Marmion and Deago Bailey powered Pat Lam’s side to a seventh league win of the season, with Harry Byrne and Benhard Janse van Rensburg adding six conversions between them.
The Bears raced into a quickfire 21-0 lead inside the opening quarter, as Gabriel Oghre rumbled over from a lineout drive, Noah Heward hacked a loose ball ahead and regathered and Kalaveti Ravouvou combined beautifully with Kieran Marmion on the short side to run in from 50 metres, before tries from Callum Chick and Jamie Blamire brought the Falcons into contention.
A second Ravouvou score, courtesy of some slick work from Rich Lane in the build up, looked to have the hosts clear again but Max Clark and Ben Stevenson closed the gap to only three points heading into the closing stages.
But with Newcastle a man down after Alex Hearle’s yellow card for a high shot on Janse van Rensburg, the Bears were ruthlessly clinical as Viliame Mata, Kieron Marmion and Deago Bailey scored before Heward added an eighth with the clock in red.
Bristol Bears: Tries: Oghre 5, Heward 7, 80, Ravouvou 18, 52, Mata 70, Marmion 72, Bailey 77. Cons: Byrne 5, 7, 18, 52, Janse van Rensburg 72, 80. Pens: Byrne 59
Newcastle Falcons: Tries: Chick 30, Blamire 37, Clark 53, Stevenson 62. Cons: Connon 30, 37, 53, 62. Yellow: Hearle 68
Bristol Bears: Lane; Heward, Jenkins, Janse van Rensburg, Kavouvou; Byrne, Marmion; Thomas, Oghre, Lahiff; Dun, Owen, S. Grondona, Harding, Mata. Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Kloska, Luatua, Heenan, Wolstenholme, Elizalde, Bailey.
Newcastle Falcons: Obatoyinbo; Pepper, Hearle, Clark, Stevenson; Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, McCalllum; De Chaves, McDonald Seran, Van der Walt, Lockwood, Chick. Replacements: Fletcher, Rewcastle, De Bruin, Hawkins, Leatherbarrow, Davis, Wilkinson, Spencer.
