Match Centre: Champions Cup: Bristol Bears 17-31 Bulls

Bristol 17-31 Bulls, Pool 1, Ashton Gate

Bulls scored three second half tries as they defeated Bristol Bears 31-17 in the latest round of the Investec Champions Cup at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

This is second win for Bristol in three games as they are at fifth place in Pool 1 table while Bulls are at third place with 10 points. Bristol Bears now face a crucial clash at Connacht Rugby in Round 4 next week, while Vodacom Bulls will face the high-flying Union Bordeaux Bègles.

Bulls got off to a promising start as Johan Goosen kicked a penalty goal to start the proceedings but they suffered a setback as the fly-half was sin-binned for a deliberate knock on.

The 14th minute saw wing Sergeal Petersen dive in the corner before AJ MacGinty and James Williams combine to send Kieran Marmion over the line as the teams completed the opening half with a 7-10 scoreline.

Bristol were down to 14 players temporarily as Max Lahiff was sin-binned at the start of the second half for a scrum infringement and the Bulls seized control of the game as prop Khutha Mchunu dived from close range in the 55th minute and eight minutes later Elrigh Louw powered his way through.

Any chance of a Bristol comeback was put off as hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels intercepted to score the bonus point try and Goosen kicked all the three conversions to extend the lead to 7-31.

The final six minutes saw Gabriel Ibitoye and Magnus Bradbury score tries but that could not stop Bristol from losing the game by 14 points.

Team line up:

Bristol: Malins; Heward, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Marmion; Grahamslaw, Oghre, Kloska, Caulfield, Batley, Luatua (capt), Thomas, Bradbury.

Reserves: Capon, Woolmore, Lahiff, Owen, Heenan, Randall, Vakatawa, Lane.

Bulls: Williams; De Klerk, Kriel, Vorster, Petersen; Goosen, Papier; Steenekamp, Wessels, Louw, Vermaak, Ludwig, Coetzee (capt), Louw, Gumede.

Reserves: Lange, Matanzima, Mchunu, Nortje, Slabbert, Johannes, Smith, Immelman.