Bristol (31) 51 |
Tries: Thacker 2, Ibitoye, Radradra, Randall, Piutau 2 Cons: MacGinty 4, Williams Pens: MacGinty, Williams |
Harlequins (12) 26 |
Tries: Kenningham 2, Bassett, Murley Cons: Edwards 3 |
Bristol swept aside Harlequins 51-26 with a seven-try display at Ashton Gate to keep their top-four hopes alive.
Harry Thacker, Gabriel Ibitoye and Semi Radradra propelled Bears into a 31-12 half-time lead, with Jack Kenningham and Josh Bassett responding.
Kenningham got a second to give Quins hope, but Charles Piutau and Harry Randall took the hosts past 50 points.
Cadan Murley’s interception score secured a try bonus point as Quins clawed back a late consolation.
A fourth straight Premiership win leaves Bristol seven points outside the top four in seventh, while Quins are a point and a place further back after a sixth defeat in their last seven league matches, both with four games left.
With last weekend’s record-breaking 62-8 win still fresh in their minds, Bristol ran the ball from everywhere, and went through their party pieces in a breathless first half.
Harry Thacker span out of a line-out catch and drive to get the ball rolling for the hosts, but Kenningham dived over from close range to quickly level after Quins worked the phases.
Piutau’s audacious back-of-the-hand pass released Ibitoye to race through two challenges and restore the lead before a knock-on denied Ratu Naulago a 50-metre interception try.
However, Bristol soon had their third try when Thacker ghosted through a gap in the Quins defence to run in his second try, and the bonus point was in the bag after just 23 minutes when Radradra, on his 50th Bears appearance, attacked the line at pace and burst through under the posts.
Quins cut the deficit to 28-12 inside half an hour when a flowing move created an overlap on the left for Kenningham to run into and his inside pass found Josh Bassett’s scoring run.
But AJ MacGinty took his points tally to 11 with a penalty kick to stretch the lead to 19 points before limping off.
After a quiet start to the second half, Kenningham muscled his way over for his second try to draw Quins within 15 points, but it only served to sting Bristol back into life with three tries in five minutes.
Sam Riley was shown a yellow card for a high tackle in the move that led to Randall sniping over.
And with Quins down to 14, a sweeping Bears move allowed Piutau to surge over in the corner before he added a quickfire second with a close-range finish to take Bristol past 50 points.
As the hosts eased off, Harlequins had the final say when Murley made an interception in his own 22 and raced away to score his 11th try of the campaign.
Bristol: Piutau, Naulago, Radradra, Williams, Ibitoye, MacGinty, Randall, Thomas, Thacker, Lahiff, Batley, Vui, Luatua, Harding, Bradbury.
Replacements: Byrne, Woolmore, Kloska, Joyce, Heenan, Uren, Bedlow, Lloyd.
Harlequins: David, Murley, Northmore, Esterhuizen, Bassett, Edwards, Care, Marler, Riley, Louw, Lamb, Lewies, Kenningham, Chisholm, Lawday.
Replacements: Musk, Baxter, Collier, Herbst, Evans, Wallace, Steele, Beard.
Sin-bin: Riley (58).
Referee: Adam Leal