Published: 18/12/2009 00:00 - Updated: 03/01/2010 16:03

Second half blitz seals Bristol bonus

BY SIMON HUTCHINSON

BRISTOL 37

BEDFORD BLUES 16


A second half blitz from Bristol saw the West Country side take all the glory on a freezing night at the Memorial Ground.

The score line probably flattered the hosts who were by no means the better team in the opening half, but their tenacious style of play and clinical finishing ensured that they kept the pressure on Exeter at the top of the table.

Although Bedford were defeated by five tries to one, they will have taken heart from a much improved performance than the one at Goldington Road last weekend.

Ollie Dodge got the Blues only try and James Pritchard kept the visitors in touching distance with a fine kicking display, but a dominant second 40 saw Bris complete the double over Bedford.

It may have been a bitterly cold night, but both teams went into this game with every intension of heating up the crowd with a sizzling first half of rugby.

The Blues started brightly with Ian Davey playing a nice chip over the Bristol back line and immediately putting fullback Arscott under immediate pressure.

Bedford’s persistence paid off when Bristol were caught holding onto the ball at a ruck and James Pritchard swiftly converted the effort.

Bris weren’t going to be held back though and they immediate fired back with the opening try of the game. Myles Dorrian’s pass was well intercepted by Jack Adams before Iain Grieve and Redford Pennycock both carried well into the tackle. When the ball came out to winger Lee Robinson he sent a perfect chip over Bedford’s centres and ran over to score with Adrian Jarvis converting.

The Blues rallied well and Pritchard was given another opportunity from the boot when Bris were caught offside and the Canadian international slotted it home well from nine metres inside the opposition half.

Bedford then extended their lead with a try created by a super kick from Dorrian which will give Arscott nightmares. The high ball bounced awkwardly and it was Davey who collected it before unselfishly passing to Dodge who outpaced the defence to score and Pritchard added the extras.

Nick Walshe was certainly loving playing his old rivals and the evergreen scrum half was having a super opening 40 minutes with everything the Blues did going through him.

Jarvis and Pritchard then swapped penalties with both continuing their 100 per cent record for the game but when Bedford were awarded another some 46 metres out, Pritchard’s effort had the legs but not the direction. Five minutes later and Jarvis’s easy looking penalty effort hit the posts and bounced into Luke Fielden’s hands.

The half finished with Bristol on the ascent, but the Blues defence – thanks largely to Paul Tupai, Mike Howard, Gregor Gillanders and Phil Boulton - held firm to give Bedford a 16-10 lead.

Bristol started the second half in impressive fashion and had a blistering ten minutes. Twice they could have added points from penalties, but each time they sent the ball to the corner and looked to pile pressure on Bedford’s forwards.

The game plan paid off as Mark Irish made yards to set up a ruck and Dan Norton came off his wing to catch Bedford napping before he offloaded to Jack Adams who scored and unconverted effort.

Jarvis added a penalty minutes later and Norton was lucky to stay on the pitch when he seemingly took Dodge out in the air. The ref judged that there had been no intent, but it was Dodge’s last action in the game as he left the field nursing an arm injury.

There was no let up from Bris and Irish was the next try scorer when he piled his frame over the try line following a ruck but Jarvis’s conversion went astray.

As the game wore on The Blues couldn’t find a break through and their misery was compounded when Arscott – who looked to be struggling to walk in the first half – sprinted clear of Fielden to touch down on the wing.

With Bedford’s discipline letting them down and Bris finding gaps left, right and centre, the night was capped off when Jason Spice took a quick penalty five metres out and played the ball wide to replacement Sam Giddens who converted his own try.

Scorers. Bristol: Tries; Robinson, Adams, Irish, Arscott, Giddens – Con; Jarvis (2), Giddens – Pen; Jarvis (2). Bedford: Try; Dodge – Con; Pritchard – Pen; Pritchard (3)

Teams. Bristol: Arscott, Robinson, Adams, Fatialofa (Eves 74), Norton, Jarvis (Giddens 74), Spice, Irish, Blaney (Bellamy 80), Thompson (Crompton 72), Budgett, Winters, Grieve, Pennycook, Montagu (Miller 74). Not used: Sambucetti, Shaw.

Bedford: Pritchard (Knight 53), Fielden, Dodge (Davies 59), Roberts, Davey, Dorrian, Walshe (Vass 71), Walsh (Seal 71), Richmond (Locke 71), Boulton, Howard, Harlock (Rae 63), Gillanders, Goodman, Tupai (Harding 63).

Attendance: 4869