Bristol keep pace with leaders Bath after victory over Newcastle

Wings Kalaveti Ravouvou and Noah Heward each scored two tries as Bristol stayed in touch with Gallagher Premiership leaders Bath after beating Newcastle 55-35 at Ashton Gate.

Fiji international wing Ravouvou and Heward struck in each half, yet Newcastle made it hard work for Pat Lam’s team just nine months after they lost 85-14 and shipped 13 tries on the same ground.

Bristol looked as though they might run away with it after Ravouvou, hooker Gabriel Oghre and Heward touched down during the opening 18 minutes.

But Newcastle had other ideas, trailing by just three points until a late Bristol scoring burst.

Ravouvou and Heward added their second touchdowns and there were also scores for scrum-half Kieran Marmion, number eight Viliame Mata and replacement Deago Bailey, with Harry Byrne booting four conversions and a penalty, while Benhard Janse van Rensburg added two conversions.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol

55 - 35

Full-time

Newcastle

All Stats and Data

Newcastle lie six points adrift at the Premiership basement but they could take plenty of encouragement from a performance that saw wing Ben Stevenson claim a try double, with centre Max Clark, hooker Jamie Blamire and captain Callum Chick also crossing. Brett Connon kicked five conversions.

It took Bristol just five minutes to open their account as they drove Newcastle backwards from a close-range lineout and Oghre touched down, with Byrne converting.

Despite torrential pre-match rain that made for a skiddy surface, Bristol were not deflected from launching their trademark expansive game and they added a second try just two minutes later.

A wayward pass just outside Newcastle’s 22 allowed Heward a half-chance and he kicked ahead before winning the touchdown race. Byrne converted and Falcons were in deep trouble at 14-0 adrift.

The visitors showed attacking ambition of their own and they went close to a 14th-minute try as wing Max Pepper was denied after his foot brushed the touchline in breaching Bristol’s defence.

Bristol then broke out from deep inside their own half, with Ravouvou leading the charge, and he also applied the finish after impressive link-work with Marmion.

Byrne again converted but Newcastle then established a foothold inside Bristol’s 22 and Chick finished off a spell of concerted pressure. Connon added the extras and Falcons trailed 21-7.

And it got even better for them as the interval approached, with Newcastle again backing their driving maul to the hilt, and England international Blamire claimed Falcons’ second try.

Connon’s successful conversion made it a seven-point game, with Bristol’s healthy lead they had established during a dominant opening quarter in danger of disappearing completely.

Newcastle’s resilience shone through during the second half’s opening exchanges but there was little they could do to prevent Ravouvou’s second try as he rounded off a slick move.

Byrne continued his success-rate off the kicking tee, yet Newcastle were back in it just three minutes later as Byrne’s attempted clearance was charged down by Clark and the former Bath centre touched down, with Connon again converting.

A Byrne penalty took Bristol past 30 points but back came the Falcons and a sweeping move ended in Stevenson sprinting over for his team’s fourth try.

Connon’s conversion meant that the Falcons were firmly within striking distance, although their cause was not helped by centre Alex Hearle being yellow-carded for a high challenge on Janse van Rensburg.

And Mata’s try eight minutes from time finally subdued Newcastle, before Marmion put his name on the score-sheet through a fine solo score, with Janse van Rensburg converting and Bailey and Heward pounced for the concluding scores.