Bristol Bears 12-35 Leinster, Ashton Gate
Bristol Bears delivered a valiant performance against four-time champions Leinster but fell short in a dramatic 33-14 defeat in their Investec Champions Cup opener at Ashton Gate.
Despite early dominance and a strong start, the Bears couldn’t withstand Leinster’s second-half surge, with standout performances from Sam Prendergast and All Black Jordie Barrett sealing the victory for the Irish giants.
The hosts came out strong, showing no signs of intimidation despite Leinster's reputation. Early momentum came from Santiago Grondona's powerful turnover, putting the Bears on the attack.
However, an injury to AJ MacGinty disrupted their flow, forcing Joe Jenkins to step in at fly-half.
The Bears took advantage of Leinster's discipline issues when Ronan Kelleher and Max Deegan were sent to the sin bin. With a two-man advantage, Max Lahiff capitalized on a 5m lineout, crashing over for the first try.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
Leinster responded quickly as Jordan Larmour punished defensive lapses to cross the line, and Sam Prendergast’s conversion leveled the score at 7-7.
The Irish side retained possession in the closing moments of the half, ensuring the teams went into halftime on equal terms.
Leinster took control after the break, exploiting Bristol's defensive gaps. Sam Prendergast scored and converted his own try to give Leinster their first lead, and Jordie Barrett added another under the posts to extend the advantage to 21-7.
Prendergast struck again following a break by RG Snyman, while Josh van der Flier powered over from a maul to secure Leinster's bonus point.
Bristol continued to fight, earning a late consolation try through Gabriel Ibitoye. The home crowd of 15,680 applauded the team’s resilience as they prepare for their next challenge: a tough away fixture against reigning champions La Rochelle in Round 2.
Pat Lam’s side will need to regroup and address key areas as they face one of Europe’s strongest teams in their next Champions Cup outing. Meanwhile, Leinster will look to build on this momentum in their campaign for another European title.
Team line up:
Bristol: Lane; Bates, Van Rensburg, Ravouvou, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Thacker, Lahiff, Dun, Owen, Grondona, Harding (capt), Mata.
Reserves: Oghre, Woolmore, Chawatama, Luatua, Grondona, Marmion, Jenkins, Elizalde.
Leinster: Frawley; Larmour, Ringrose, Henshaw, O'Brien; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Boyle, Kelleher, Slimani, J McCarthy, Ryan, Deegan, Van der Flier, Conan (capt).
Reserves: G McCarthy, Porter, Clarkson, Snyman, Doris, McGrath, R Byrne, Barrett.