By David Hibell
October 7 2003

Bristol again showed two sides to their character in this try filled cup encounter in which they were losing at half time but totally dominated the second half to run out deserved winners

After a shaky start when they failed to gather a long kick off and Manchester were awarded a five yard scrum the Bristol pack gradually began to exert control in the set piece, claiming a number of the visitors line outs and taking the ball against the head on more than one occasion.

 

Manchester however were to open the scoring after Bristol elected to run a penalty, Bails was penalised for holding on to the ball in the tackle though he seemed not to have been felled, Stuart Brown successfully converted the penalty to put them 0-3 up.

 

Bristol were awarded a penalty in the seventh minute after good work by the forwards, Bristol Shoguns stole the Manchester line out after a long clearance by Beanie, the Manchester defence held firm and were given the put in to the scrum, the Bristol forwards forcing Manchester to stand and were rewarded with a five yard penalty.  Duncan Hayward struck the ball well enough but it sailed past the posts to the right.

 

Bristol attacked again straight from the restart after Bails had missed the catch Dodge cleared up the loose ball, fed Sean Marsden who was brought down on half way.  Manchester were penalised for coming in from the side and Bristol went for the line out from the penalty.  Quick ball from the line out was moved left and again Manchester were penalised, this time the penalty was on the 22.  Bristol again opted for the line out, but Manchester encroached, this time Bristol elected to go for the three points but the ball was again pushed right.

 

Amazingly there were people in the Centenary terrace and stand booing the decision to kick at goal, this in the first 15 minutes of a match when the Shoguns were three nil down!

 

Manchester were down to fourteen men soon after, but were the second team in a week to outscore us despite being a man down during the sin binning scoring two penalties, including one from half way, whilst Bristol managed to score a try through James Baileys pace and determination, as he raced in down the left touchline beating several would be cover tacklers.

 

On the half hour mark, shortly after the referee had both fallen over the players and then unwittingly clothes lining a Bristol player as he awarded a scrum!  Bristol attacked from the scrum and were close to going over but were held up by the Manchester defence who then went down the other end of the park and nearly scored themselves only to be awarded a penalty, they elected to run and were rewarded with a try to the tight head but the conversion attempt was missed to leave the score 5-14.

 

As in last weeks match though Bristol were to have the last score of the half when a cross field kick to the left corner eluded the Manchester cover allowing Marsden to touch down in the corner, this time Hayward made no mistake and Manchester went in at half time with a narrow lead 12-14.

 

I don’t know what was said at half time but it certainly worked as Bristol came out a changed team, the pressure from the forwards was till there but there was suddenly a cutting edge and cohesion about the team. 

 

Adam Billig scored the first of Bristol’s five tries of the half within a minute of the restart, which was followed by a Hayward penalty.  The Bristol pack really started to turn the screw now and got their rewards when MOTM of the day Neil Clark e emerged from the bottom of a ruck to claim a justly deserved try.

 

Richard Hill made a number of changes in this half and one of them, Rob Higgit, scored with possibly his first touch of the ball in senior rugby at Bristol with an excellent solo try chipping the last line of defence he regathered and just managed to squeeze in at the corner. 

A number of drop goals were attempted after we had been awarded penalties and from one attempt by Sean Marsden the ball rebounded off the left upright, where a Manchester player caught it & a penalty was awarded.  A quick tap was taken and Cox penetrated the Manchester defence to score.

 

Manchester had a consolation try for replacement Lucus after a 2 on 1 overlap; Bails tackled the outside man who fed the ball inside for Lucus to run in unopposed.

 

But the last try went to replacement Paul Hodgson, on for Marsden after he and Hunt had clashed heads, who rounded off a flowing move in the left corner for replacement fly half Danny Gray to convert from the left touchline.

 

Final score 44-22