By John Harding

GKIA Championship

Bristol 50 Richmond 5

SEVEN tries in the 50-5 bonus point home victory over struggling Richmond fails to be a true reflection of a GKIA Championship game considering that the semi-professional visitors kept their hosts at bay for the opening 35 minutes.

Tries from hooker Max Crumpton and scrum half Rhodri Williams, both converted by fly-half Billy Searle and his penalty that had opened the scoring, have saved the Bristol players from getting the complete hair-drier treatment from head coach Pat Lam.

Nor was it an indicator of the try-feast that was to come as Bristol ensured that they didn't take their foot off the pedal as they added five more tries to take them up to second place in the GKIPA Championship table.

Twenty-three year old Crumpton went on to cross for another three tries, Williams added a second and replacement back row Dan Thomas also got on the scoresheet with Searle adding another four conversions.

Crumpton, who has earned international honours with England at U16, U18 and U20 levels, makes him only the second Bristol forward to score four tries in a league game but his side leaked a late consolation try from wing Jordan Simpson-Hefft.

"I'm just the lucky one on the end of the score," said Crumpton. "We were challenged in our first two games, and this match was all about how we were going to work harder and stronger as a pack, and I thought we did that quite well.

"We've been working hard in training, we've got very good players and it's about how we work as one. Teams are very good in this league - they all want to beat Bristol - so we have to be on our A game otherwise they will come away with something."

The two tries in the final minutes of the first half masked a somewhat frustrating first half - for players, and the 6509 supports alike. Things won't get easier as the season progresses starting with Saturday's game at Bedford.

The Blues won their opening games away to Richmond and home to London Scottish but lost 45-25 away to the unbeaten league leaders Ealing Trailfinders as silly errors and a couple of penalties let them down in the second half.

Crumpton added: "The Bedford game will be very physical and a battle up front. We know where they are going to come and they have a big, strong pack. We have to meet that and take the match."

Bristol United, who have yet to win in the Aviva A league this season after the weekend's 47-24 defeat by Bath at Hornets RFC, will face London Irish A at Clifton RFC on Friday evening, kick-off 7.15pm.

Bristol scores - tries: R Williams 2, M Crumpton 4, D Thomas; cons: B Searle 6, pen: B Searle Richmond scores - try: J Simpson-Hefft Bristol: M Protheroe; R Edwards (L Morahan, 54), J Tovey (I Madigan, 66), A Leiua, D Lemi; B Searle, R Williams (R Glynn, 68); J O’Connell (S Tonga’uiha, 68), M Crumpton, Ni Thomas (A Giltrow, 52), J Batley, S Jeffries, S Luatua (D Thomas, 62), O Robinson, J Crane (capt).

Richmond: R Kirby (B Rath, 41-53, 61); J Woodward, C Mitchell, R McLean, J Simpson-Hefft; F Gabbitass, J Gibbs (L Jones, 57); J Cunnew (W Goodrick-Clarke, 59), J Phipps (J Townsend, 62), J Tarrant (C Trenier, 43), W Warden (T Sargeant, 59), A Humfrey, J Liston (J Parker, 57), J Allcock, C Davies.

Referee: H Smales (RFU) att: 6509