Bristol win 12-try Prem thriller at Gloucester

The Prem

Gloucester (20) 34

Tries: Alemanno, Blake, Edwards-Giraud, Joseph, Venter Cons: Byrne 3 Pen: Byrne

Bristol (21) 49

Tries: Worsley, Oghre 2, Harding, Mata, Ravouvou 2 Cons: Worsley 7

Bristol Bears needed seven tries to beat Gloucester in a high-scoring Prem thriller at Kingsholm.

Scores from Sam Worsley, Gabriel Oghre and Fitz Harding helped the visitors into a 21-20 half-time lead.

Oghre's second extended the advantage after the break before Viliame Mata's try and two scores late on for winger Kalaveti Ravouvou finally settled the contest.

Gloucester pushed Bristol all the way with first-half tries from Matias Alemanno, Seb Blake and Josiah Edwards-Giraud, but tries from Will Joseph and James Venter after half-time were only enough to earn the winless hosts a bonus point.

It was a fourth straight defeat for the Cherry and Whites in their worst-ever start to a season and their injury list continued to grow.

It now includes winger Ollie Thorley, who was carried off on a stretcher after attempting a tackle in the opening minutes.

Bristol also have their injury troubles but secured a third Prem win of the campaign as they were far more efficient with their opportunities, despite having comfortably the smaller share of territory and possession.

Fly-half Worsley dived into the left corner for their opening try after five minutes, the first of 19 points for the 22-year-old, before a rolling maul drove Oghre over and Harding picked an excellent line to take a short pass and run in from the 22.

Gloucester also scored early through the big Argentine right hand of Alemanno, with Blake's pick-and-go finish and replacement Edwards-Giraud's try up the left wing in front of the The Shed bringing the hosts back to a point down at the break.

Another maul saw Oghre secure Bristol's bonus point after half-time before Gloucester responded as Joseph floated a wonderful pass to the left wing and took Edwards-Giraud's return pass to dive in for their own bonus point for registering four tries.

The visitors extended the lead again as Benhard Janse van Rensburg carried hard off a line-out and Mata arrived late to take a short pass and walk under the posts but, from a tap penalty, a deceptive blind-side run from Venter saw the Gloucester captain reply once more.

Just a point in front with eight minutes remaining, Bristol made good ground up the left wing before they switched the play and Mata fed Ravouvou, who slipped a tackle to run in.

And the Fijian winger finally settled the contest two minutes before full-time as a swift attack from turnover ball saw Ravouvou take Matias Moroni's grubber to dive into the left corner.

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"It's pretty depressing, there's no getting away from that. We've lost a lot of bodies in the game as well and when you lose and lose more bodies, it's pretty tough at the moment.

"We had to go 6-2 on the bench and then we lost both wingers in the first half. You've then got to ask a nine to go on the wing and it gets a tough evening.

"I haven't heard anything about Thorlo [Ollie Thorley] which doesn't bode well, so I imagine that's quite a serious injury."

Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It's been like the end of the season trying to manage players but we're really, as a coaching group, driving down on clarity to give the players the best opportunity to go out there as a team.

"We were lethal when we had the ball but we spent a lot of time defending because we missed the high balls and we weren't happy about our set piece in the first half as well.

"But that fight and being all-in for the group is really coming through because we have to rely on it."

Gloucester: Atkinson; Loader, Joseph, Llewellyn, Thorley; Byrne, Englefield; Knight, Blake, Fasogbon, Thomas, Alemanno, Basham, Venter, Bokenham.

Replacements: Innard, McArthur, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Mann, Taylor, Austin, Edwards-Giraud.

Bristol: Elizalde; Pepper, Moroni, Janse van Rensburg, Ravouvou; Worsley, Marmion; Woolmore, Oghre, Kloska, Rubiolo, Batley, Luatua, Harding, Mata.

Replacements: Thacker, Grahamslaw, Chawatama, Dun, Owen, Grondona, Lennon, Fricker.

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys