Bristol go top after resisting Irish rally

By PAUL REES

Bristol …………….40pts

Tries: Morahan 17, Capon 20, Genge 32, Randall 40, Heenan 59, Lahiff 60

Conversions: MacGinty 18, 21, 33, 60, 61

London Irish ….36pts

Tries: White 4, Arundell 43, Jackson 50, Miller 72, van Rensburg 76

Conversions: Jackson 5, 44, 51, 73

Penalties: Jackson 16

THE gloom in the Premiership is all off the field. It is flourishing on it, a bloom of tries, points, handling and mistakes born out of endeavour.

Bristol held on in their usual high-scoring frenzy against Irish, 303 points in the last four Premiership meeting between the sides, on an afternoon when Henry Arundell again showcased his singular talent.

Arundell scored an 80- metre try after incepting an AJ MacGinty pass having set up the opening score of the match when he jinked inside Harry Randall and away from Rich Lane to free Ben White. And when he and wing Will Joseph exchanged reverse passes in a move which started in Irish's 22 to set up Paddy Jackson on 50 minutes, Irish were two points down having trailed 26-10 at the interval.

But their capacity to create was matched by a tendency to present the opposition with gifts and two tries in as many minutes by Jake Heenan and Max Lahiff restored the Bears' advantage only for Irish to mount a late rally. They were attacking with time up when Curtis Rona lost the ball after being tackled by Harry Thacker and the Exiles left with two bonus points. The victory took Bristol to the top of the table in their best start in the Premiership since 1999. Parts of their game were very good: they showed intent, played at pace and in Randall had the game's catalyst. Like Irish, they also paid for conceding possession cheaply, a consequence of taking risks.

Touchdown: Paddy Jackson scores for Irish

Bristol took control of the game in the second quarter, getting on top up front and in the loose. Ellis Genge roamed and rampaged and scored the third of the Bears' four tries in 23 minutes after Irish had made the better start.

Bristol got away with one when they were 7-0 down. Referee Tom Foley was playing advantage to the visitors when Jackson's long pass to Ollie Hassell-Collins on the wing five metres out failed to reach its target because Charles Piutau knocked on with his right hand.

It was an offence usually punished by a yellow card and a penalty try, but instead of finding themselves 14-0 up after 16 minutes, Irish had to be content with the penalty Jackson kicked after the advantage ended. It was poor by the officials, but Irish did not make much of it afterwards, acknowledging their own errors had cost them.

Randall set up Bristol's first try for Luke Morahan with a booming pass from a line-out that allowed MacGinty to run on to the ball and put pace into the move.

Will Capon was at the end of a driving maul for the second, Genge claimed the third and Randall ended the scoring in the opening half when Irish were down to 14 men.

Take that: Luke Morahan scores for Bristol Bears

PICTURE: Getty Images

White had been sent to the sin-bin for a high challenge on a ducking Randall, a call all the more harsh given what Piutau had got away with. Irish fought their way back, but late tries by Isaac Miller and Benhard van Rensburg could not make up for lapses on the hour in another madcap game.