Bristol thrash Quins to book semi-final derby spot

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol (26) 52

Tries: Kloska, Batley, Ravouvou, Mata, Ibitoye (2), Grondona, Janse van Rensburg Cons: MacGinty (6)

Harlequins (12) 26

Tries: Murley (2), Dombrandt, Hammond Cons: Benson (3)

Bristol secured their Premiership semi-final astatine Bath successful style pinch a superb attacking show successful a 12-try epic astatine Ashton Gate.

The Bears needed a triumph to beryllium judge of a top-four spot and made nan cleanable start, registering a prize constituent wrong 24 minutes pinch close-range scores from George Kloska and Joe Batley and explosive Kalaveti Ravouvou and Viliame Mata tries.

Cadan Murley's good first-half double reduced nan spread to a 14-point lead astatine nan break.

Gabriel Ibitoye extended nan advantage to 31-12 soon aft nan restart but memories of nan 2021 'Bristanbul' comeback by Quins astatine Ashton Gate loomed ample arsenic nan visitors notched quickfire tries from Alex Dombrandt and George Hammond to spell wrong 5 points.

However, scores from Santiago Grondona and Ibitoye settled nan nerves earlier Benhard Janse van Rensburg brought up nan half-century arsenic nan Bears booked a travel to their West Country neighbours connected Friday night.

Noah Heward made his first Bears commencement astatine afloat backmost since January aft wounded while Pat Lam handed Argentina world fastener Pedro Rubiolo his Bears debut.

With a semi-final spot retired of scope Danny Wilson made 3 changes to nan Quins starting XV arsenic Jamie Benson made his first Premiership commencement astatine fly-half while Luke Northmore returned astatine centre and Nick David started astatine afloat back.

It took conscionable 93 seconds for nan hosts to break nan deadlock arsenic speedy hands from MacGinty sent Ibitoye flying down nan near helping and contempt immoderate bully defence from Quins adjacent their ain line, prop George Kloska plunged complete adjacent nan posts, pinch MacGinty slotting nan extras.

The 2nd effort arrived wrong 5 mins arsenic fastener Joe Batley stretched to touch down complete nan statement aft different powerful drive, pinch MacGinty again converting.

A punishment footwear into nan area and a heavy lineout paved nan measurement for Luke Northmore to transverse for Quins aft an angled tally connected 10 minutes but nan effort was chalked-off for a guardant walk from Dombrandt, who was past held-up complete nan statement by Fitz Harding aft a bulldozing tally consecutive from nan restart.

Quins sewage backmost successful it connected 17 minutes erstwhile Murley raced onto a clever spot guardant from Benson connected nan 22 to drawback a precocious bouncing shot and plunge over, allowing Benson to adhd 2 points from infront of nan posts.

Bristol extended their lead conscionable 3 minutes later arsenic Harry Randall recovered abstraction connected nan correct and Fijian flyer Ravouvou raced down nan whitewash to acrobatically dive complete successful nan area for his 11th effort of nan campaign, though nan conversion sailed wide.

The onslaught continued and Mata produced a superb angled tally and bulldozed his measurement nether nan posts done immoderate alternatively fixed defence for Bristol's 4th effort and a prize constituent connected 24 minutes, pinch MacGinty notching nan conversion to make it 26-7. Bears' 16th effort prize constituent of nan play is simply a caller Premiership record.

Batley was denied a 2nd effort by different guardant walk to nan near helping earlier MacGinty's walk was intercepted by Hammond successful midfield and a agelong shot retired wide paved nan measurement for Murley to measurement wrong his man and scorch down nan near from wrong his ain half for his 11th effort of nan play conscionable aft nan half-hour, though Benson missed nan conversion effort from retired wide.

Six minutes aft nan turnaround Quins replacement Sean Kerr almost collapsed distant but Bears won backmost possession and Ravouvou's break down nan near and immoderate good passing crossed nan width of nan section paved nan measurement for Ibitoye to stroll into nan correct area for his 12th effort of nan campaign, a caller nine record, against his erstwhile club, though nan conversion was unsuccessful.

Bears nerved started jangling, arsenic memories of nan 28-point illness successful nan 2021 semi-final against Quins returned arsenic nan visitors notched 2 converted tries successful 3 minutes.

Dombrandt reduced nan arrears aft a slick dummy done nan statement from Benson created abstraction and Quins added different from adjacent scope connected 52 minutes aft a break from Northmore, pinch Hammond diving done a crowd to touch down connected nan line, pinch Benson's 3rd conversion making it a five-point game.

The hosts could respire again connected 58 minutes erstwhile Grondona plunged complete to extremity a bid of goalline probes, pinch MacGinty adding nan 2 points, and immoderate lightning hands and feet from MacGinty saw nan shot dispersed to Ibitoye connected nan near to jink his measurement to nan statement for effort number 13, nan associated astir successful nan convention this season, pinch MacGinty adding nan extras from nan whitewash to reconstruct nan 19-point lead and bring up 1,000 successful his Premiership profession for Bears and Sale.

As Quins wilted successful nan Bristol sunshine Bears were denied a punishment effort for Benson's slap into touch down nan posts, nevertheless Janse van Rensburg barged done a spread to dot down behind nan posts to bring up nan half-century, pinch MacGinty adding his sixth conversion.

The hosts saw retired nan last 10 minutes without further siren to registry their biggest ever triumph complete Harlequins, unafraid their return to nan semi-finals for nan first clip successful 4 years and book a mouthwatering conflict astatine nan Rec connected Friday night.

Pat Lam, Bristol head of rugby, told BBC Radio Bristol:

"I americium very proud of this group, this is astir apt 1 of nan highlights of my clip astatine Bristol Bears.

"We cognize there's areas we tin amended on. To beryllium missing stardust players for respective months astatine a time, nan squad has really gelled together to get america done nan reliable times."

[On nan derby day astatine nan Rec connected Friday night] "We're excited. Bath person only mislaid 3 games this year, and we've beaten them twice.

"We've played them 14 times since we've been backmost successful nan Premiership, won each of them astatine Ashton Gate, erstwhile astatine nan Principality and we've won much astatine nan Rec than we've lost.

"We cognize really to hit Bath. The situation is it's now a semi-final. I person to get nan crippled scheme right."

Quins caput coach Danny Wilson said:

"We started nan crippled terribly coming and it put america successful a spot of a hole.

"We were backmost successful it astatine 31-26, but past Bristol capitalised connected their opportunities.

"They are a very, very bully broadside if you fto them fto rip. It has been a achy extremity to nan season."

Bristol: Heward, Ravouvou, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Thomas, Oghre, Kloska, Rubiolo, Batley, Grondona, Harding, Mata.

Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Lahiff, Owen, Luatua, Marmion, Byrne, Bates.

Harlequins: David; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Benson, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, J Green, Hammond, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Jibulu, Els, Streeter, Launchbury, Lawday, Murray, Kerr, Halfpenny.

Referee: Luke Pearce