It’s not been a great festive period results-wise for the Bears but the 36-26 defeat to Saracens on Saturday was definitely an improvement on the Christmas comedown against Sale [38-0 loss]. Having made the trip the the StoneX for the first rugby away day of 2025, it was a shame that I witnessed the end of Bristol’s record breaking away win streak, but on balance it seemed like a fair result and although the late comeback effort wasn’t rewarded with a second bonus point, the fact that we are still in second place in the Premiership table shows what a good first half the season we have had.
It was certainly a chilly one for the fans and with one or two players donning fancy black tights for the occasion, Bristol did their best to warm the cockles of the travelling support by continuing to try and play the expansive heads-up rugby that makes any away trip worthwhile. Unfortunately, Sarries were also up for the fight, and it was credit to them that they also played more of a running and offloading game than they have done in the past, as well as tackling like demons.
READ MORE: Bristol Bears blow their chances to extend stunning away record as Saracens strike
That said, it was disappointing that Bristol found themselves two tries down early on and it was a shame that they were unable to make the most of a number of post-Christmas gifts that Saracens offered in the second quarter. After showing clinical red zone efficiency at Leicester Tigers this time around the Bears were unable to convert territorial pressure into points, particularly when Mario Itoje had been sent to the bin. The fact that he then came back on and immediately galloped halfway down the pitch to set up their third try just before the break, was like an ice dagger to the hearts of the already frozen Bears fans!
However, there were positives to be had in the second half with the bench doing their job and first sight of the on-loan fly half Harry Byrne, who looks like a class operator and someone who will quickly slot into the Bears way. Hopefully he will manage to get some good game time in the next couple of European games that are, lets be honest, less important than the final Premiership home game against Newcastle Falcons before the long Six Nations break where I hope we get back onto the bonus point win trail.
Up the New Year Bears!
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