Bristol Bears strike first with five-try win at Sale
Bristol Bears beat Sale Sharks 34-24 at the CorpAcq Stadium on 26 September to open the Premiership season. The Round 1 victory came with a bonus point, the extra league point awarded for scoring four or more tries. BBC Sport
Bristol led 20-10 at half-time after striking three times before the break. A try in rugby union is worth five points, scored by touching the ball down over the opponent's goal line. Louis Rees-Zammit claimed two of those first-half scores. Harry Randall added the other, the first of his two tries on the day.
Randall scored again after the restart, his second try coming on the other side of half-time. Sale stayed in touch through tries from Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tom O'Flaherty, with O'Flaherty scoring twice. Bristol replacement hooker Tomas Gwilliam, the front-row forward who throws into the lineout, settled the contest with the visitors' fifth try in the 73rd minute.
The result reversed recent history at this fixture. Sale had won eight of their previous 11 home meetings with Bristol before Saturday's game. FloRugby Sale had also edged the last meeting between the clubs, a 41-36 win at Ashton Gate in the Premiership Rugby Cup in February. Sale Sharks
Bristol arrived in the north west talking up the test ahead, with coach Pat Lam discussing his side's preparation for the Sale trip in the build-up week.
What makes this stand out is the manner of an away win on opening weekend. Five tries on the road gives Bristol early points on the board. For fans, this means a fast start. Sale have little time to dwell on it, with the season only just under way.
