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REPORT | Blues put to the sword by Bristol
A game that showcased just how ruthless Premiership opposition can be when they get going as Bedford Blues fell to a harsh 67-19 defeat against Bristol Bears.
Lessons will be learnt from this one as Blues were punished for any errors they committed as Bristol ran in 11 tries in total. In fairness to them, they were faultless with some of their senior figures really rising to the fore to take the game away – Harry Thacker particularly impressive with two of those scores.
Mike Rayer’s side didn’t give up, and scored three fantastic tries to at least come away with some scoreboard pressure, sadly it wasn’t enough to secure a bonus point for their troubles.
They showed incredible character in the face of adversity because they could have dropped their heads facing a 43-0 deficit after an opening half hour in which Bristol ran riot and scored with pretty much every opportunity they created.
Bristol put 90+ on Cambridge last season and they were dominating all facets of the game. But up stepped Bedford to put in a resilient showing to the endings of the first half as Tommy Herman and Will Maisey both scored neat tries to cut the gap.
Blues were again faced with wave after wave of defensive integrity in the course of the second half but did pick up a neat third try late on; Alfie Garside scooping up a loose ball to continue his purple patch of form with a second in as many games.
They deserved a point for their resilience and determination, but it wasn’t to be as Bristol held firm to continue their long standing dominance in this fixture since a first meeting nearly a century ago.
