The Bears’ advantage was wiped out inside five minutes and, having claimed a 14-6 interval lead, Bristol struck again eight minutes into the second period.

Winger Tom O’Toole briefly raised Bears’ hopes, but the West Countrymen reeled off 24 points in as many minutes before substitute Andy Lewis marked his first senior game for five years with a consolation try, generously laid on by Coventry’s man-of-the-match Matt Cooper. Nathan Tilsley chipped in with two conversions.

The Bears’ Academy side won 22-16 at Leamington Royals to complete the double over their local rivals while the ladies XIII claimed a 12-12 share at Copeland Cats.

Drained by the four-and-a-half-hour trek to Cumbria – Stacey Tolley was forced to bench herself because of a bout of travel sickness – and with seven newcomers finding their feet, Coventry were unsurprisingly 12-0 adrift at the interval. But half-backs Hannah Waterloo and Ale Lewis got the measure of the opposition in the second period as full-back Helen Price became increasingly influential in attack.

Rhiannon Watkins cut the arrears after a superb run from deep inside Bears territory, Lewis dummied her way across to make it 12-8 and Waterloo crowned her highly-encouraging debut with an excellent equaliser.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon