GKIPA Championship

Bristol 34 Jersey Reds 38

By John Harding

BRISTOL’S unbeaten run in the Greene King IPA Championship came to an abrupt end at the unlikely hands of Jersey Reds with the league leaders only salvaging a try-scoring bonus point thanks to a late converted try.

The defeat ended Bristol’s hopes of setting a new club record of 17 unbeaten league matches in a row but, with Ealing Trailfinders game against Rotherham Titans postponed on Saturday, the lead at the top is now 15 points with five games to play.

Bristol started well but by half time the visitors already had their try-scoring bonus point in the bag as they led 28-20 and on course for their first-ever win over Bristol but they knew that they still had a lot of work to do and they looked more hungry for the win.

“Unfortunately there were lots of execution issues from people not doing their jobs and collectively as a group we suffered. Fair play to the boys, we had opportunities to come back and managed to get two points out of it,” said Bristol head coach Pat Lam.

“But there were other opportunities that we didn’t take and what probably disappoints most is that if you look at the [Jersey] 38 points, how many of them did we actually hand them on a plate?

“We have to take the learning from this game, get back on the horse staring when the players report back for training on Monday. We know that we shouldn’t have lost the game and we have to go back and look at our execution.”

A one minute's silence was observed before the kick-off in memory of Doncaster Knights’ prop Ian Williams died at the age of 27 after he collapsed at the club’s Castle Park ground last month and could not be resuscitated.

Flanker Steve Luatua crossed from a driving line lineout in the opening minutes, Ian Madigan added the conversion, but the Samoan international had to leave the action a few minutes later with a knee injury to be replaced by Joe Joyce.

Jersey struck as full back Scott Van Breda, who is joining Worcester Warriors next season, found a gap with Brendan Cope adding the extras to level the scores. Madigan’s 22-metre penalty, midway through the half, put Bristol back in front.

But that was short-lived as a driving lineout saw Jerry Sexton claim Jersey’s second try, Cope converted, before Alapati Leiua sprinted down the left touchline to score Bristol second try, Madigan converted, The visitors countered with a Kieran Hardy try, converted by Cope before Madigan landed his second penalty. With Bristol’s centre Siale Piutau in the sin-bin, Van Breda powered through for his second try, and the bonus point, which Cope converted.

Bristol started the second half the stronger but it was Jersey who stretched their lead when Tom Pincus intercepted a pass from Tusi Pisi and ran in unchallenged, Cope adding the extras, but Jersey’s Jake Woolmore was yellow carded on the hour.

Cope then added a penalty before replacement hooker Jack Macfarlane became Jersey’s second player to spend time in the sin-bin. But time was almost up, Sam Jeffries bulldozed his way over the line with Madigan’s conversion.

Bristol kept searching for another score but Madigan cross-field kick for Jordan Williams bounced awkwardly and Jersey gathered the ball kicked the ball to touch to end the game and begin their celebrations.

Bristol scorers - tries: S Luatua, A Leiua, R Williams, S Jeffries; cons: I Madigan 4; pens: I Madigan 2

Jersey Reds - tries: S Van Breda 2, J Sexton, K Hardy, T Pincus; cons: B Cope 5; pen: B Cope

Teams. Bristol: J Williams; L Morahan, S Piutau, T Pisi (capt), A Leiua; I Madigan, A Uren (R Williams, 33); S Tonga’uiha (J O’Connell, 55) J Harris-Wright (N Fenton-Wells, 55), G Cortes (J Lay, 55), S Jeffries, J Latta (J Joyce, 9), S Luatua, J Lam (N Haining 58-67), N Haining (D Thomas, 17-27; 51) Rep (not used): C Sheedy.

Yellow card: S Piutau (38-48)

Jersey Reds: S Van Breda (capt); T Pincus, A Ma'afu (J Dudley, 67), M Best (G Eastwell 63), J Worrall; B Cope, K Hardy; J Woolmore (R Godfrey, 71), N Selway (J Macfarlane, 55), J Armstrong (A Clarey, 71), J Sexton, J Voss (U Kolo’ofa’i, 45), R Bartle (R Godfrey, 64-70), C Joyce, M Argyle.

Rep (not used): J Upfield.

Yellow card: J Woolmore (60 -70) J Macfarlane (79)

Referee: I Tempest

Att: 8,018