Gallagher Premiership
Sunday, December 26th 2021
Ashton Gate

	Bristol Bears	26
	Leicester Tigers	28

Match Report

Will Carpenter reports from Ashton Gate

Posted Sunday, December 26th 2021 @bristolsportwkc

Report: Bristol Bears 26-28 Leicester Tigers

Sunday, December 26th 2021

Guy Porter's 84th minute try saw Leicester Tigers snatch a dramatic late victory at Ashton Gate on Boxing Day.

With the clock in the red, Pat Lam's men found themselves defending a three-point lead, after tries from Fitz Harding and Ioan Lloyd and 16 points from the boot of Callum Sheedy had edged them in front late on.

Nemani Nadolo's first-half try and a trademark driving lineout score from Julian Montoya kept Tigers in the hunt, while the expert boot of George Ford added 16 points from the tee.

Sheedy's fourth penalty of the afternoon six minutes from time made it 26-23 late on, while Jasper Wiese was sent to the sin-bin for a late hit on the Bears fly half. But with their unbeaten record on the line, the Tigers delivered one final play, as replacement Nic Dolly raced on to Freddie Steward's offload to send Porter over in the corner for the knockout blow.

Bristol Bears: Piutau; Fricker (Purdy 6), Radradra, Bedlow, Lloyd; Sheedy, Randall (Uren 63); Thomas, Thacker, Sinckler, Joyce, Vui, Luatua (c), Jeffries (Heenan 40), Harding.

Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Lahiff, Hawkins, Heenan, Uren, O'Conor, Purdy.

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Potter, Moroni, Kelly, Nadolo; Ford, Youngs; Genge (c), Montoya, Cole, Wells, Green, Martin, Reffell, Van Staden.

Replacements: Dolly, Leatigaga, Leyes, Chessum, Wiese, Wigglesworth, Hegarty, Porter.

Bristol Bears: Tries: Harding 24, Lloyd 54. Cons: Sheedy 24, 54. Pens: Sheedy 28, 35, 42, 74

Leicester Tigers: Tries: Nadolo 38, Montoya 58, Porter 80. Cons: Ford 38, 58. Pens: Ford 16, 46, 58, 62. Yellow: Wiese 73