Robinson surprises Bath

By Ben Blackmore  

Robinson surprises Bath

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Guinness Premiership, Memorial Ground, Sunday September 4

Match Stats

Bristol made a glorious return to the Guinness Premiership with a shock 19-16 victory over Bath at the Memorial Ground.

Lee Robinson proved to be the hero for the home fans as he made light work of breaking through the Bath rearguard to score with only five minutes left on the clock.

The try overturned a lead held by the visitors for the majority of the match after a sensational try by Frikkie Welsh, but the immaculate kicking of Jason Strange ensured that Bristol were always in striking distance, and Robinson took full advantage as the clock wound down.

All of the talk ahead of the game suggested that the Bath pack would simply overpower the Premiership newcomers, who often employed an expansive game last season.

Yet Bristol were more than a match for the visitors upfront as the game wore on, frequently disrupting the line-out and contesting in the scrum.

The first half was a rather disjointed affair, with the Shoguns wasting good positions with some erratic handling, whilst Bath played their usual painfully efficient game - taking three points at every opportunity.

However, flying winger Frikkie Welsh, in the team due to the injuries suffered by David Bory and Michael Stephenson, produced a moment to light up a dull opening period.

Welsh received the ball wide deep in his own half and proceded to ignore two forwards on the overlap out wide to scythe through the gaping Bristol defence to score a wonderful individual try.

Soon after Manuel Contepomi was forced off through injury and things looked bleak for the home side.

Jason Strange's right boot kept offering light at the end of the tunnel, as he kept up his 100 percent kicking ratio in contrast to Ollie Barkley's wayward performance, to ensure his side were always in with a shout.

Mark Denney made victory even more unlikely by receiving ten minutes in the sin-bin for prevented the ball leaving the ruck, but Bristol refused to give in and they increasingly began to overpower their opponents.

The stage was finally set for Robinson, with only five minutes to left, to avoid four Bath tackles and take the Premiership newboys to a sensational derby victory.

Bristol (6) 19
Tries: Robinson.
Cons: Strange.
Pens: Strange 4.

Bath (13) 16
Tries: Welsh
Cons: Barkley.
Pens: Barkley 2.
Drops: Malone