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Connacht 27-10 Bristol Bears: Lrish Side's Bonus-Point Victory Ends Bears' Last-16 Hopes

 


Connacht finished Bristol Bears' expectations of arriving at the Investec Champions Cup last 16 with an agreeable reward point win in their last pool game.

Shayne Bolton scored the Opener before Bristol's Josh Caulfield was sent off for Striking Finlay Bealham's head.

Bristol Struggled to recover as the Hosts scored again through Jack Aungier and Caolin Blade before the Interval.

Andrew Smith added a Fourth after the break as Bristol left Empty-Handed despite Claiming a late penalty try.

The Bears Arrived in Ireland in fourth and Occupying the final Qualification Spot in Pool 1, but defeat for Pat Lam's men sees them drop to the Foot of the table and out of the Competition, Exchanging places with the Irish province.

Three-time Winners Saracens remain Fifth and can leapfrog Connacht, who they Trail by one point, with Victory or a Losing Bonus if they are beaten by fewer than 20 points in their meeting with Lyon on Saturday.


Who needs what to arrive at Champions Cup knockouts?

Connacht save best till last as Bristol fall away

The Irish territory lost their initial three European games this season yet Lam, who trained Connacht for quite a long time, would have been very mindful of their alarming message before a light home group.

Connacht raced into an early lead as Bolton Finished off a Flowing move Following a break in midfield, before a Single moment Appeared to all but end Bristol's Challenge.

As Caulfield Approached the ruck, his Boot made contact with the Grounded Bealham's head as he tried to set his Footing, but referee Pierre Brousset felt the lock had enough time to adjust his Approach to the Breakdown.

With the guests down to 14, Connacht seemed to fill in certainty and Aungier controlled over from short proximity. As the hosts celebrated their second try, Bristol's agony was made worse when Kyle Sinckler was sent to the sin box, bringing the visitors down to 13 men.

It only Intensified the Connacht Attack and Moments after the English prop returned to the field, Blade Sniped over to put his side seemingly out of reach.

David Hawkshaw appeared to make an illegal double tackle to keep the visitors out, but Brousset didn't want to look at the video because Bristol showed a lot of fight and didn't score their first try before the break.

The two sides had great attempts chalked off as Smith gymnastically jumped over in the corner regardless of going under the test of a few Bristol protectors, yet he was punished for a toe in contact, and Kalaveti Ravouvou locked on to a slick kick through and fueled away from the following Connacht guard prior to failing to keep a grip on the ball as he plunged over.

Smith got his merited attempt to seal the reward point which keeps Connacht's weak expectations alive, before Bristol were compensated for their diligence with a punishment attempt in the end phases of their Heroes Cup crusade.


Line-ups

Connacht: O'Halloran; Smith, Hawkshaw, Aki, Bolton; Hanrahan, Blade (c); Buckley, McElroy, Bealham, Murray, Joyce, Prendergast, Hurley-Langton, Butler.

Replacements: Heffernan, Dooley, Aungier, Dowling, Oliver, McDonald, Carty, McNulty.

Bristol Bears: Malins; Ravouvou, Vakatawa, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randal; Woolmore, Oghre, Sinckler, Caulfield, Batley, Luatua, Harding (c), Bradbury.

Replacements: Capon, Grahamslaw, Lahiff, Owen, Thomas, Marmion, Williams, O'Conor.

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