By Ian Todd
March 9 2014

It was a high scoring game played in lovely conditions, but the Bristol coaching team will be unhappy with defensive lapses that let Pirates get closer than was comfortable. However, once again Bristol came away with a try scoring bonus point and a victory over a side that had already beaten us twice this season. In fact Marco Mama’s four tries would have garnered the extra point by themselves!

Bristol kicked off the game on a lovely spring afternoon and were very nearly over the line from the first play off the game with incisive running down the right win.  Only an unsympathetic pass led to a knock on with a try begging.  Pirates regrouped and made good ground following the scrum, but Bristol were alert to any danger and turned over possession and came right back at the visitors and Marco Mama plunged over for his first try of the game.  Nick Robinson converted.

Pirates were determined to hit back quickly and they did when poor tackling allowed them to attack far too easily.  Bristol were penalised as they tried to regroup and it was 7 – 3.  The Bristol forwards struggled to find a way through determined defence, but when the ball was shipped across the back line it sailed uselessly into touch.  Bristol tried to keep up the pressure but a needless pass was intercepted by Goss who raced away.  Auguy Slowik tracked him back and managed to haul him down.  Sadly a penalty resulted and the gap was narrowed to a single point.

Not for long though, when Mama smashed his way over from close range for another converted try.  The lead was soon extended further when a neat kick from Ben Mosses sowed confusion in the Pirates’ defence and led to the award of a penalty.  It was quickly taken and Nick Koster ignored the two backs outside him to touch down for an unconverted try.  Pirates were undaunted and a stunning break sliced the ‘defence’ apart and Holland out in the left-hand corner to take the score to 19 – 16.

Bristol showed similar ruthlessness shortly after with excellent play cut through the defensive line.  Mama raced onto the ball (aided by what appeared to be a forward pass, truth to tell) and he scored his hat-trick with a hand laid on him.  In end to end play, it was Pirates turn just before half-time with Carpenter scoring  out right to leave the score at 24 – 18.

Pirates started the second period brightly with Goss breaking clear again.  The Bristol defence just managed to haul him down, regroup and clear downfield.  Pirates gave away a silly penalty and the ball was kicked to touch.  A good forward drive went in and then the ball was popped out for Slowik to score a converted try by the posts for a score of 31 – 18.  In what now appeared to be the dominant theme of the game, Pirates came straight back at Bristol, bursting through some poor defence and Holland supplied the finish out left despite the efforts of Adam Hughes, who was injured in the attempt.  The conversion was a good one.

And guess what?  Yes, this try was swiftly followed by one from Bristol.  A penalty was sent to touch and Mama was driven over from the lineout for his fourth of the afternoon.  Bristol continued to press and Pirates gave away another penalty.  Rather to the surprise of the crowd replacement Adrian Jarvis had a shot at goal, but his effort drifted left of the uprights.

Bristol came close to another try when a loose Pirates pass was hacked over the goal-line only to roll dead before a hand could get to it.  With the last sore having been to the home side it seemed inevitable that the next would be from the Pirates.  Sure enough, the Bristol fringe defence become very porous and Hallet crashed over for an unconverted, but bonus point, try.

Bristol looked very sloppy at this point and a soft penalty took the visitors into losing bonus-point territory at 38 – 33.  Fortunately Pirated were equally lax and Jarvis was able to wipe out the advantage with a penalty kick of his own.  The final score came from a Pirates error following a speculative Bristol kick ahead which was seized by Slowik for his second of the match and it was 46 – 33.