Bristol Bears reached a new level of attacking brilliance at Welford Road on Saturday night to blow away Leicester Tigers 54-24.
The Bears set a club record for points scored in the first half of a Premiership game as they racked up 40 points by the interval with six tries from six visits into their opponents’ 22.
This was supposed to have been a well-balanced affair between two sides who started the day in second and third, but Leicester were unable to live with the intensity and skill of the blistering Bears who reiterated their growing reputation as the league’s most dangerous attacking side.
Bristol scored eight tries in all as they repeatedly cut open the hosts and celebrated a remarkable record 10th successive away victory – beating Saracens’ previous best of nine wins.
Leicester also conceded a record-equalling number of points in a Premiership contest as Gabriel Oghre and Kalaveti Ravouvou each grabbed a brace of tries, with further scores from Bill Mata, Rich Lane, Gabriel Ibitoye and Benhard Janse van Rensburg for the Bears.
This mauling of fellow hopefuls Tigers, who did manage to score four tries of their own, twice through Ollie Hassell-Collins and then once each from Freddie Steward and Josh Bassett demonstrated just how clinical and over-powering the Bears can be when they get it right.
After blowing a couple of early attacking opportunities, Bristol actually fell behind to Hassell-Collins’ early score. The wing celebrated signing a recent new contract by diving over. Yet, it merely poked the Bears into a fierce and angry response.
Firstly, Ellis Genge went through a gap from an AJ MacGinty tip on and fed hooker Oghre to cross unchallenged. MacGinty added the extras and did so again when Oghre bull-dozed over from close range for his second try.
Tigers raced down the other end of the field with Hassell-Collins showing his pace again to complete his brace and it looked like it was going to be a you score, we score type of game. But Bristol found another gear while Tigers stalled with Ravouvou – in his best performance since joining the club – touching down in the corner before fellow Fijian Mata crashed over to seal the attacking bonus point.
But the Bears were far from done as full-back Rich Lane finished off the best of the first-half half dozen Bears tries. The visitors forced a knock on close to their line and broke from deep through Ravouvou and Ibitoye. Lane juggled the ball from Ibitoye’s now trademark over the top offload pass before regathering and racing in from 50m out.
Sam Worsley, who had replaced the injured MacGinty, converted but missed his next kick after winger Gabriel Ibitoye sauntered over the Tigers line for try number six.
Leicester badly needed the early second-half try provided by Freddie Steward which lifted spirits, along with a harsh yellow card for Bristol’s Oghre for foul play at the preceding line-out.
But a Janse van Rensburg charge down try extinguished the small chink of Tigers’ light as Bears regained their grip and Ravouvou put the icing on the Bears’ Christmas cake with a 70-metre solo effort.
Josh Bassett’s try in added time at least salvaged a try bonus point for the hosts.
Leicester Tigers: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Josh Bassett. 13. Will Wand, 12. Solomone Kata, 11. Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10. Handré Pollard, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Julián Montoya (c), 3. Joe Heyes, 4. Cameron Henderson, 5. George Martin, 6. Hanro Liebenberg, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Olly Cracknell
Replacements: 16. Charlie Clare, 17. James Whitcombe, 18. Will Hurd, 19. Jed Holloway, 20. Emeka Ilione, 21. Jack van Poortvliet, 22. Jamie Shillcock, 23. Joseph Woodward
Bristol Bears: 15. Rich Lane, 14. Jack Bates, 13. Kalaveti Ravouvou, 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Harry Randall; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. George Kloska, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Owen, Steven Luatua, 7. Fitz Harding (c), 8. Viliame Mata
Replacements : 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. Jimmy Halliwell, 19, Jamie Hodgson, 20. Ben Grondona, 21. Kieran Marmion, 22. Sam Worsley, 23. Benjamin Elizalde.
Referee : Hamish Smales
Assistant Referees : Hamish Grant and Simon Harding
TMO: David Rose