Varley gets Bears back in winners’ enclosure

By JAMES GALLAGHER

Loughborough L ……….. 17pts

Tries: Morrall 11, Treder 51, Williams-Morris 76

Conversion: Rowland 12

Bristol Bears ………….. 46pts

Tries: Wills 2, Varley 6, 24; Bern 38, Bevan 47, Butchers 59, Nigrelli 71, Atkin-Davies 79

Conversions: Aitchison 25, Reed 72, 80

Bristol Bears got back to winning ways with an eight-try victory at Franklin's Gardens.

Meg Varley scored two tries, while Deborah Wills, Sarah Bern, Keira Bevan, Alisha Butchers, Gabriella Nigrelli and Lark Atkin-Davies all got in on the act.

It was a much-needed victory for Dave Ward's side following back-toback defeats, with Rownita Marston Mulhearn bossing proceedings every time she had ball in hand.

Ward said: “We came here and showed a lot of ambition and that ambition showed in a such a positive result.”

Bristol set the tone inside two minutes with a powerful opening score. Jenny Hesketh feeding Deborah Wills to go over in the left corner. Five mintues later, it was fellow winger Megan Varley who breezed over after strong link-up play from Holly Aitchison and Amber Reed.

Lightning fought back as Helena Rowland neatly popped out of contact for the onrushing Carmela Morrall to bundle over from a few metres out. Rowland confidently converted to the cut deficit to three points.

Bristol re-established their 10-point advantage 15 minutes before halftime after strong interplay between the forwards and backs resulted in Megan Varley powering her way over for her second try of the half that was improved by Aitchison from the right touchline.

Lightning got themselves over the line shortly afterwards as Bulou Mataitoga produced a sparkling 20-metre diagonal run that Sadia Kabeya advanced even further, only for the close-range recycle to be held up.

Bristol then landed a sucker punch a minute before the break as England prop Sarah Bern finished a sweeping move.

Daisy Hibbert-Jones, introduced during the break, immediately made an impact winning a breakdown penalty on the 22 as Bristol were twice penalised, but escaped with no damage inflicted as a penalty kick to touch fell short and a lineout was overthrown.

Bristol showed their ruthless streak as Phoebe Murray won the footrace to a kick ahead and scrum-half Kiera Bevan was in support to ride the scrambled.

Hooker Kathryn Treder, on her home debut, kept Loughborough in the fight as she burst through a half-gap to put her side within 15 points with half-an- hour remaining. Bristol hit straight back when Rownita Marston-Mulhearn showed strength in the carry and offloaded for Alisha Butchers to cross the line on the hourmark and entering the final ten minutes, Gabriella Nigrelli wrestled over for Bristol's seventh try.

There was a late flurry as Jess Weaver looped a glorious pass for fellow replacement Carys Williams-Morris to finish in the left corner but Bristol had the last laugh, with a rolling maul resulting in Lark Atkin-Davies rum-bling over in stoppage time.

Loughborough coach Nathan Smith said: “We were not at the races today. Teams with the quality of Bristol will punish you when you're not at your best. We will have to be better next time out”.