REPORT: Bath Academy 22-22 Bristol Academy

The visitors led at Trowbridge RFC, but were pegged back by Bath late on in a nailbiting affair last Friday.

Bristol trailed early, but skipper James Dun crashed over from close range, while Nathan Chamberlain converted.

Bath hit back after the interval to regain a narrow advantage, before Matt Welsh’s fifty metre effort – followed by Dun’s second of the afternoon – put Bristol in control.

But, in the final ten minutes, Bath went over for a late score to level proceedings.

Academy Manager Mike Hall said: “We were pleased with the performance and the guys did everything we asked of them. It’s positive to see how far we have moved forward as a group, albeit there’s a tinge of frustration among the players that we couldn’t close out the game.

“We’re looking forward to another big challenge versus Exeter on Saturday, it promises to be a physical affair and a test of our pack.”

Bristol Academy U18s face Exeter Academy U18s at SGS Filton on Saturday, 7 January (2.30pm KO).