Bristol top as Sale beaten by Ravouvou’s late try

Ashton Gate, and The Prem

Bristol (7) 19

Cons: Jordan, Williams, Moroni, and Ravouvou

Sale (7) 17

Bristol Bears won a close contest against Sale Sharks at Ashton Gate, lifting them above the Prem with a score of nine minutes from time thanks to Kalaveti Ravouvou’s try.

Tom O’Flaherty, a winger for Sale, scored the team’s opening try before Joe Owen added a consolation try for Bristol on 7-7 at half-time.

Ernst van Rhyn, the Sharks captain, and a penalty from George Ford restored the visitors’ lead before Matias Moroni’s try brought Bristol back within five points.

Rekeiti Ma’asi-White was the sin-bin’s Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, but Bristol kept the ball moving in contact until Jimmy Williams’ space opened up midfield.

Ravouvou slammed sharply inside the covering defense and walked under the posts for a classic Bristol score as he kept the play moving to the left wing.

Bristol are now putting on a serious title challenge despite having won four consecutive Prem titles.

Sale, who are currently 12 points outside the top four, will need a second strong run in the second half of the season to reach the play-offs.

They will undoubtedly be frustrated if they don’t close out a game that they largely controlled, which restricts Bristol’s attacking intent by limiting opportunities in the wide channels and limiting space in the middle.

Raffi Quirke, the scrum-half forced onto the wing after Alex Wills failed a head injury assessment, broke before play swung right and scored from the corner with O’Flaherty surpassing Ravouvou.

On the final play of the half, flanker Owen slammed over to bring the scores level for Bristol, who had twice been denied close to the line.

With their first offensive of the second half, Sale regained control as they approached the line before van Rhyn muscled over for a penalty that gave them a 17-7 lead.

After finding space on the right wing to send Moroni into the corner, Ford’s high tackle gave Bristol a rare field position in the second half, bringing them back within five points.

After winning a penalty in the middle of the field, Bristol then released Moroni from the line-out, and he almost made it, Ma’asi-White conceded a penalty at the ruck and was shown a crucial yellow card.

Pat Lam, Bristol’s rugby director, told BBC Radio Bristol: “

“I’m so proud of myself. People believe the injury situation is over, but others have intervened to make things worse.

We’re growing with so many different experiences both on and off the field, and it’s doing us a great favor.

Because we knew we had won this game and were at the top of the table, I said, “Let’s treat this like a final,” and that was finals rugby.

Rugby director for sale Alex Sanderson said:

“It’s a tough decision because we had the right mindset and were successfully executing our game plan,” the author said.

However, we let them leave their half too easily, which gave them swings of 60 to 70 meters, and despite our best efforts, they kept knocking at our door and had to fall.

Thacker, Lahiff, Kloska, Taylor, Grondona, Marmion, Worsley, Heward, and others are their replacements.

Sale: T Curry, Van Rhyn (c), Vermeulen, Dugdale, O’Flaherty, du Preez, Ma’asi-White, Wills, Ford, Quirke, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Harper, Bamber, van Rhyn (c), and Van Rhyn (c).

Replacements: Jibulu, McIntyre, Bell, Burrow, Gilmore, Warr, Louw, and Wehr.

Ma’asi-White’s Yellow Card