Bristol 9 Wasps 19

BRISTOL fought well against Wasps in their last warm-up match before the Aviva Premiership season kicks-off on Saturday but they ultimately went down to defeat.

They lead 9-0 at the break but three second-half tries gave Wasps a ten-point win by the end of the match.

The concern since Bristol's promotion has been whether they could step up to the higher grade and not fall flat on their face as the beleaguered London Welsh did on their second elevation to English rugby's highest flight.

A number of summer recruitments made their first appearances in front of the Bristol faithful on the pitch of Clifton RFC, next door to the club's training ground, after two previous warm-up matches in recent weeks when a development side played Worcester and a first team lost by a point to Welsh region Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park.

So facing big Premiership opponents just a week before director of rugby Andy Robinson takes his side to Twickenham to face Harlequins in the London Double Header was an early look at how Bristol are likely to fare when the Premiership starts for real on Saturday.

And, on the face of it, it was encouraging as they went into the half-time break 9-0 ahead thanks to three penalties from Welsh international fly-half Gavin Henson.

The tight situations and ball retention in the loose are going to be the foundations that Bristol will have to get right if they are going to not just survive relegation but, as Robinson predicted when they won promotion, put a challenge to teams.

Wing Tom Varndell in particular was as active in defence and in counter-attack and gave Bristol some real bite.

Bristol's problem last year was giving up easy points and a missed tackles on half-way saw Wasps get back into the match after the break when number eight Nathan Hughes ran twenty metres for a converted try.

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young brought on the big guns of Englland internationals Christian Wade and Danny Cipriani among others and they took the lead when Wasps turned the ball over in their own half and a move saw wing Josh Bassett finish off a try that Cipriani converted to put Wasps ahead 14-9.

But Bristol found themselves again and had Wasps on the back foot as the clock ticked down to ten minutes left.

Henson and replacement scrum-half Martin Roberts orchestrated things behind the back of the loose situations.

Yet, they could not take advantage of the territory. Henson refused a touchline penalty to go for an attacking line-out but that failed and Bristol found themselves down the other end of the pitch.

Another concern for Bristol is to keep going for eighty minutes when under pressure. Wasps put them under the cosh in the final minutes but it needed a rolling maul that went over the home line for prop Ashley Johnson to touch down to finally put Bristol away.

Nevertheless, it was a good display against a highly-experienced Premiership outfit. Robinson can take heart from it.