REPORT: Newcastle Falcons 19 - 14 Bristol Rugby

Trailing 19-0 at half-time after scores from Juan Pablo Socino, Mark Wilson and Joel Hodgson, Bristol fought their way back into the game courtesy of tries from Jon Fisher and Mitch Eadie – and despite Jarvis adding the extras to both, the visitors were unable to force the win in the closing stages.

The home side were first on the scoreboard when, after six minutes, Juan Pablo Socino intercepted a loose ball to scoot over in the corner.

Nine minutes later, Falcons were at it again when Mark Wilson dabbed down from close range after a period of sustained pressure in the Bristol 22.

Delany’s conversion made it 12-0 – and after a scrappy twenty-minute period, the number ten made it 19-0 when Joel Hodgson scythed through the Bristol midfield to score under the posts.

In between the two scores, Bristol had briefly threatened the Falcons line with an outside break from Will Hurrell, while both Jordan Williams and Adrian Jarvis were off target with penalty attempts – but the visitors headed into the changing rooms trailing 19-0 at the interval.

But they began the second half on the front foot and were rewarded on 51 minutes when Jon Fisher stretched over for his side’s opening score and Jarvis’ conversion reduced the deficit to 19-7.

Delany was then off-target with a 35-metre penalty, before Bristol scored their second of the afternoon courtesy of Mitch Eadie, with the flanker darting over following surging runs from Ross McMillan and Jon Fisher.

Jarvis again converted to leave Bristol chasing a five-point deficit heading into the final 15 minutes.

Hodgson missed the chance to put the visitors out of losing bonus-point range when his penalty drifted wide on 70 minutes – but Bristol were unable to force their way back into Newcastle territory and were forced to settle for a losing bonus-point on the road.

Bristol Rugby: Jordan Williams (Wallace 51); Ryan Edwards, Jack Tovey, Will Hurrell, David Lemi; Tusi Pisi (Jarvis 12), Will Cliff; Kyle Traynor (Bevington 50), Ross McMillan (Crumpton 63), Anthony Perenise (Cortes 63), Ben Glynn, Mark Sorenson (Phillips 50), Mitch Eadie, Jack Lam (c) (Fisher 50), Jordan Crane.

Replacements: Max Crumpton, Ryan Bevington, Gaston Cortes, James Phillips, Jon Fisher, Rhodri Williams, Adrian Jarvis, Jack Wallace.

Newcastle Falcons: Simon Hammersley, Alex Tait (Agulla 10), Dominic Waldouck (Hodgson 12), Juan Pablo Socino, Sinoti Sinoti, Mike Delany, Michael Young; Rob Vickers, Scott Lawson, David Wilson, Calum Green, Evan Olmstead, Mark Wilson, Will Welch (c), Ally Hogg.

Replacements: Ben Sowrey, Alex Rogers, Jon Welsh, Will Witty, Daniel Temm, Sonatane Takulua, Joel Hodgson, Belisario Agulla.

Referee: Wayne Barnes