Six-try Bath prove too much for Bristol in derby

The Prem

Bath (19) 40

Tries: Pepper, Repath, Du Toit, Cokanasiga, Underhill, Arundell Cons: Russell 5

Bristol (15) 15

Tries: Ravouvou, Oghre Cons: Worsley Pens: Worsley

Bath overcame a resilient Bristol 40-15 in a fierce west country derby at the Rec to move up to second in the Prem ahead of the league’s four-week break.

Bristol had their neighbours on the back foot for much of the first half, opening a 10-point lead through Kalaveti Ravouvou and Gabriel Oghre tries and a Sam Worsley penalty.

But Bath mounted a rapid comeback, scoring twice in four minutes as Ollie Lawrence and Cameron Redpath added to Guy Pepper’s earlier try to take a four-point lead at the break.

Bristol’s defence impressively kept a relentless Bath at bay for long periods until Joe Cokanasiga added the fourth try to open daylight on the scoreboard, and a late flurry saw Sam Underhill and Henry Arundell add two more in the closing minutes.

More to follow.

Bath: Carreras; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit; Roux, Molony, Bayliss, Pepper, Reid.

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Stuart, Richards, Underhill, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Barbeary.

Sin bin: Van Wyk (81)

Bristol: Elizalde; Bates, Moroni, Janse van Rensburg, Ravouvou; Worsley, Marmion; Genge, Oghre, Kloska; Rubiolo, Batley, S. Grondona, Harding (c), Mata.

Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Chawatama, Owen, B. Grondona, Lennon, Carrington, Fricker.

Sin bin: Santiago Grondona (59)

Referee: Ian Tempest