Bristol enjoy Cardiff takeover and boost playoff hopes with win over Bath

It took a trip across the border and an opponent with other things on their mind but Bristol stopped the recent rot with a bonus-point victory that keeps their playoff hopes alive. Their performance did not quite live up to all the pyrotechnics that adorned their Big Day Out at the Principality Stadium but six tries and a win over a second-string Bath side was enough to satisfy their supporters.

Indeed, 51,095 showed up to watch a West Country derby that was keenly fought if lacking in the highest quality. Bristol survived an early bout of stage fright and withstood a second-half comeback by their visitors to seal the win with late tries from Will Capon and Bill Mata. For Bath – who were already guaranteed top spot – it is a first defeat in 11 in all competitions but Johan van Graan will be pleased with how his callow charges acquitted themselves.

The Premiership has plenty of its own problems but this trip to Cardiff brought into sharp relief those of their neighbours. Shortly before kick-off at the home of Welsh rugby, the Ospreys and the Scarlets released a statement defending why they have not yet joined Cardiff and the Dragons in signing up to the new professional agreement.

Bristol have put their back into marketing this fixture – they have already booked to come back next year – but it is saying something that the Bears were able to attract a crowd not far off double that of Wales’s Judgement Day a few weeks ago. As if to hammer home the disparity, on Saturday the Premiership announced its long-term £200m renewed deal with TNT Sports. You suspect the broadcasters would have preferred Bath to have picked their first team, to have unleashed their two British & Irish Lions in Finn Russell and Will Stuart, but that is the league leaders’ prerogative and another reminder the Premiership is far from perfect.

It is unlikely Pat Lam cares too much about that. Bristol’s corporate arm may hope that whoever they play next year will bring their A-listers but the Bears had lost their past three Premiership matches before this and desperately needed to arrest that slide to maintain hopes of reaching the playoffs. Bath, meanwhile, have a European Challenge Cup final at this stadium on 23 May before the Premiership playoffs and understandably made 13 changes from the side ttha defeated Edinburgh in the semi-final last Saturday.

Bath and Bristol fans flock to Cardiff for their game at Principality Stadium. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

They began well enough, weathering an early Bristol storm to score the first try through the 22-year-old fly-half Ciaran Donoghue. There was an element of fortune – Donoghue’s kick was charged down but fell to Joe Cokanasiga who ran hard and straight before offloading to Bath’s No 10. Donoghue has caught the eye in recent weeks, emerging as a potential contender for England’s summer tour of Argentina and the USA, and he finished his try with an impressive turn of pace.

Bristol had already been reduced to 14 men with Max Lahiff sent to the sin-bin during mounting Bath pressure and from kick-off it was soon 13 – Benhard Janse van Rensburg shown a yellow card for taking out the visiting captain, Ewan Richards, in the air. The Bears were finally on the board on 27 minutes, however, when Gabriel Ibitoye wriggled over from close range and soon after Janse van Rensburg’s return, he straightened and flung the ball to Rich Lane for try number two.

The Bears had settled by this stage, Bath’s young charges were reeling and Bristol added another on the stroke of half-time – Gabriel Oghre finishing off at the back of a driving maul. Fitz Harding brought up the bonus point five minutes into the second half but Bath stirred themselves. The excellent Richards got on the scoresheet with a lovely dummy and a nervousness befell Bristol when Joe Batley and Mata were sent to the sin-bin in quick succession.

As it was, Bath’s greenhorns could not quite take advantage and late breakaway scores from Capon and Mata put the gloss on Bristol’s victory.