Report: MacGinty and Whiteley combine to claw Bears off the bottom
A last-gasp AJ MacGinty tap-tackle ensured Bristol Bears held on for a shock 12-15 victory over Harlequins at the Stoop to clamber off the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership table.
A strong opening half for Bristol saw two tries from Harry Thacker and Gabriel Ibitoye put them 5-15 ahead at the break, a team try finished by Josh Bassett keeping Harlequins within touching distance.
Quins gave it everything in the second half as Caden Murley’s try got them to within three points, but Bristol fly-half MacGinty’s ankle-tap on Andre Esterhuizen hampered his decisive charge to the line in the dying moments.
In a physical first-half the tone was set in the opening phases. Harlequins flanker Will Evans looked to assert himself in his tackle on Semi Radrandra but came off second best against the force of the Fijian, leaving the field for Tom Lawday.
Bristol opened the scoring in the opening five minutes through a simple penalty kick from AJ MacGinty, Joe Marler failing to roll away in time for Karl Dickson’s whistle.
The Bears looked bright in the opening ten minutes. Luke Morahan broke early down the right wing from his own 22, brought down just short of the Quins half. The home side scrambled well to win the penalty at the breakdown, but Bristol looked dangerous.
Another huge Radradra collision, this time a slightly late shot on Tommy Allan, was evidence of the type of game Bristol wanted to play. So far it was succeeding.
Harlequins endeavoured to threaten but were unable to penetrate the visitors 22. Chis Vui stole Quins ball from the lineout as they looked to build, frustrating the baying Quins backline.
Bristol made their early pressure pay in the 15th minute. Thacker’s converted score, peeling off the back off a driving maul, put Bristol 0-10 in front and in control of the game.
The Quarters retaliated and began to fall into their rhythm. Their defensive intensity came first, chasing down high balls to put in some hefty shots on the Bears back three.
Then came the attack. Josh Bassett finished of a fine team effort in the 20th minute, the ball moved swiftly through the hands into Bassett’s. Bumping off Bears defenders, Bassett finished strongly to get the home side into the game and move the score to 5-10.
Ten minutes of sustained Harlequins pressure almost led to a second score. A kick in behind from Allan was met by a leaping Joe Marchant, but the ball was dislodged as he went to ground to score.
Bristol rode the Quins pressure well much to the home side’s frustration, a couple of bouts of handbags breaking out as the teams wrestled for control.
But it was Bristol who prevailed, scoring a second through Gabriel Ibitoye as the half neared its close. The Bears swung the ball from left to right and the winger, returning to his former club, stepped back inside off his left to avoid the covering defenders and drove through the defensive gap to extend Bristol’s lead to ten points. The ex-Tel Aviv man, who’s is still just 24 years old, looks at home back in the Premiership.
Harlequins came out the better side in the second half and were inches from scoring through Danny Care in the 49th minute. Searing towards the left corner, the scrum half dived for the line but was just edged into touch after a determined last-ditch tackle from Ibitoye.
They got their try in the 59th minute. A perfectly executed cross-field kick from Danny Care landed perfectly in the path of Caden Murley at pace, breaking through three Bears defenders to score his 8th league try of the season.
Allan converted and Quins were back within three.
The attack was not coming together for Bristol but they controlled territory with kicks deep into Quins half. However, when Tom Lawday charged down an Andy Uren kick inside their own 22, the momentum shifted.
Quins won a kickable penalty but opted for the corner with just six minutes on the clock. They mounted pressure on the Bristol line, Ibitoye seing yellow for a high shot with four minutes left on the clock.
Harlequins found the gap they were looking for from the lineout through Esterhuizen. He looked sure to score, but a last-gasp tap tackle from MacGinty tripped the thundering South African, the ball ripped from his grasp by Tom Whiteley just as he crossed the line.
The result means Bears climb off the bottom of the table and go above Bath into 10th, equal on 21 points with London Irish and Newcastle Falcons. All teams have now played 10 games and Bristol sit just seven points away from Leicester Tigers in 4th in what promises to be a thrilling second half of the season.
