Young Bears feature in friendly clash

With a number of Academy youngsters playing their first games of senior rugby, the fixture  - played on the Lansdown pitch - provided an important milestone in their development.

Andrew Turner, Aaron Thompson, Benjy Joseland, Harry Rowson, Chay Mullins, Tom Wilstead, Deago Bailey and Charlie Rice all represented the U18s last season, while rugby league convert Ben Bamber enjoyed a first outing in a Bristol jersey.

Played in four 20-minute quarters, a Toby Fricker try and a penalty from Tom Wilstead completed the scoring for Bears 'A', while a Levi Davis double led the way for Ealing.

Senior Academy manager Gethin Watts said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our young players to test themselves against a quality Ealing outfit. For some of these guys, it’s their first taste of senior rugby, so we were pleased to see how well they performed.

“It was great to have the first team players and staff at the HPC following the win over Worcester to support the guys as well. That shows the tight-knit culture and togetherness of our Bears Team Culture.”

The two sides will meet again on Saturday (December 5th, 3pm) at Trailfinders Sports Ground.

Bristol Bears ‘A’: 15. Freddie Owsley; 14. Toby Fricker, 13. Jack Bates, 12. Charlie Powell, 11. Deago Bailey; 10. Tom Wilstead, 9. Chris Cook; 1. Peter McCabe, 2. Darren Dawidiuk, 3. Jake Armstrong, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Alex Groves, 6. Charlie Rice, 7. George Kloska, 8. James Dun.

System players: Andrew Turner, Aaron Thompson, Tom Kessell, Benjy Joseland, Harry Rowson, Chay Mullins.