Bedford Blues scored three tries, but began their Premiership Cup campaign with a comprehensive 67-19 defeat at in-form Bristol Bears on a sobering Saturday afternoon at Ashton Gate.
Bristol have won four of their opening six Premiership clashes, including victory against reigning Premiership champions, Northampton Saints last weekend and made light work of their Championship opponents in this revamped cup competition.
Not many would have expected a Bedford Blues victory against a side who have beaten the likes of Saints and Bath this season already, but despite the scoreline, forwards coach, Tom Cruse said, “we showed a lot of heart” in defeat.
After half an hour however, it looked as if the scoreline could get very messy.
Joe Jenkins scored the first of eleven Bristol tries after just two minutes as he barged his way through two tackles to bundle over, before Harry Thacker set Kieran Marmion free to double the try count moments later.
The hosts had a third with just twelve minutes on the clock courtesy of Toby Fricker before Thacker secured the bonus point with a try of his own before the end of the first quarter.
Further tries for Jack Bates, who made an instant impact off the bench, and Benjamin Elizalde made it 36-0 and when Yann Thomas scored a seventh for Bristol after just thirty minutes, the hosts had scored 43 unanswered points.
The final five minutes of the first half however belonged to the Blues as Tommy Herman scored a try from close range to get Bedford on the scoreboard before Will Maisey ran home a second.
He converted both tries to reduce the deficit to 43-14 at the break.
The two scores opened up the opportunity of a bonus point for scoring four tries, but Bedford could only muster three as Bristol turned the screw.
It took fifteen minutes of the second period for Bristol to score their eighth, courtesy of Jake Heenan before Fijian, Kalaveti Ravouvou scored a brace of his own to make it 62-14.
Thacker got a deserved second of his own – Bristol’s 11th – to make it 67-14 but Bedford Blues had the final say as Alfie Garside scored a consolation to seal a fair second half effort for Mike Rayer’s men.
Battle of Bedfordshire ahead
Cruse is right when he says the Blues showed heart; after a first half hour that saw the Bears maul their way through with ease, the scoreline could have been awful, but the second half showed character, which Bedford Blues and Rayer can take into next week.
They have just six days to recover before they welcome Bedfordshire rivals, Ampthill to Goldington Road on Friday night (8 November); a side perhaps feeling fragile after experiencing another thrashing today, 73-0 at home to Bath.
Bedford Blues finish this section of the Championship Cup with another home game, against Bath on Saturday 23 November but will be looking no further than Ampthill as they look to win local bragging nights next Friday night.
