Bristol Bears got a tough beating 41-27 away at Sale Sharks on Friday night in Round 17 of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership. The match dealt a serious blow to Bristol’s hopes of making it to the playoffs. Despite a late surge of tries that earned them an attacking bonus point, the team fell short of securing a second losing bonus point due to some missed kicks from AJ MacGinty and Harry Byrne. Sale Sharks, on the other hand, put up a dominant performance with players like Dan du Preez, Tadgh McElroy, Jonny Hill, Rekeiti Maasi-White, and Raffi Quirke touching down to showcase their title credentials.
Individual performances of Bristol Bears players were closely examined by South West rugby writer John Evely. Rich Lane, who recently signed a contract extension, showed his attacking prowess early on but had to leave the game due to an injury, leaving the team without one of their key players. Kalaveti Ravouvou came close to producing a moment of brilliance but fell short on a few occasions. Benhard Janse van Rensburg struggled against Sale’s aggressive defense, making more errors in one game than he had all season. James Williams conceded penalties under pressure, while Gabriel Ibitoye faced a tough time as he was moved to full back due to Lane’s injury.
AJ MacGinty seemed out of sorts against his former club, struggling to find his rhythm and missing crucial kicks. Harry Randall, on the other hand, showed his electric X-factor with a stunning try in the first half. The rest of the team put in a solid effort, with some standout moments from players like Viliame Mata and Santiago Grondona. Despite the loss, there were glimpses of individual brilliance that the team can build on in the upcoming matches. As the season progresses, Bristol Bears will need to regroup and focus on improving their performance to keep their playoff hopes alive.
