Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Bristol Bears 41-44 Gloucester
Christian Wade scored a hat-trick for Gloucester
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Bristol Bears 41-44 Gloucester Rugby, Ashton Gate
Gloucester Rugby secured a thrilling victory over Bristol Bears in a high-scoring Gallagher Premiership clash at Ashton Gate, edging past their rivals with a 44-41 win, thanks to a late penalty from fly-half George Barton.
Gloucester got off to a flying start, with Christian Wade sprinting three-quarters of the field to notch his second try of the game and seal the Cherry & Whites' bonus point before halftime. Barton's successful conversion extended the lead to 28-10, but the Bears fought back with a try just as the clock turned red, reducing the deficit to 28-15.
Early in the second half, Barton slotted over a penalty in front of the posts to push Gloucester’s lead to 31-15. However, former Gloucester player James Williams responded for the Bears, scoring a try that, combined with AJ MacGinty’s conversion, cut Gloucester’s advantage to just nine points, making it 31-22.
Barton added another three points from a penalty to ease the pressure at the hour mark, but Gloucester needed more to fend off a determined Bristol side. With twenty minutes left, Wade completed his hat-trick after his own kick through bounced perfectly back into his hands. Barton’s accurate boot added the extras, pushing the score to 41-22.
True to form, Bristol rallied and struck back hard. Two tries from Max Malins and one from Rich Lane brought the Bears level at 41-41 with just six minutes remaining, setting up a tense finale.
However, Barton's 78th-minute penalty proved decisive, securing Gloucester’s first win of the Gallagher Premiership season and delivering a hard-fought victory for George Skivington’s men.
Gloucester are positioned second in the Gallagher Premiership table with 6 while Bristol continue to top the table with 7 points.
Team line up:
Bristol: Malins; Naulago, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska; Dun, Batley; Luatua, Heenan, Harding
Reserves: Capon, Woolmore, Lahiff, Caulfield, Grondona, Marmion, Jenkins, Lane
Gloucester: Barton; Wade, Harris, Atkinson, Llewellyn; Anscombe, Williams; Vivas, Singleton, Gotovtsev; Thomas, Alemanno; Clement, Taylor, Mercer
Reserves: Blake, Ford-Robinson, Fasogbon, Clarke, Ackermann, Tuisue, Englefield, Atkinson
