Two Classic Bristol-Gloucester Clashes
- 819
Round Three of the 2018 Premiership Rugby kicks off with a mouth-watering West Country derby between Gloucester Rugby and Bristol Bears.
Gloucester have dominated this fixture over the past decade but nonetheless, there have been some thrilling matches between the two sides in the past and with Pat Lam leading Bristol in a new direction anything could happen today.
We picked out two classic clashes between the two sides.
Bristol 29-26 Gloucester (February 2008)
It was a real nail-biting West Country Derby the last time Bristol was able to claim a win over Gloucester.
Jason Hobson and Scott Linklater both scored tries in the encounter but Jason Strange was the hero on the day slotting a clutch drop goal to win the match 29-26.
It was not the first time Strange had done this with the Welshman slotting a match-winning drop goal against the same opposition just 15 months earlier.
📸 | The last time we beat @gloucesterrugby was way back in 2⃣0⃣0⃣8⃣.
— Bristol Bears (@BristolBears) September 13, 2018
Who remembers this 29-26 @premrugby nailbiter?#ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/NRh2kxyG0j
Gloucester 28 Bristol 23 (8 Jun 2002) – Championship Trophy Final
Gloucester claimed their first trophy since 1978 in this match as they were able to dispatch Bristol 28-23 to win the Zurich Championship.
The two sides produced a fantastic match after what was then English rugby's most demanding campaign.
Jake Boer grabbed the Cherry Whites only try before the break, with Agustin Pichot and Paul Johnstone replying for Bristol.
Bristol's Felipe Contepomi recorded a 100% record from his five attempts but his opposite number Ludovic Mercier had more chances, collecting a personal haul of 23 points.
Front rower Patrice Collazo hauled Pichot to the floor by his throat to earn himself a 10-minute spell in the sin-bin and with a man advantage, Bristol should have taken control.
When Collazo had returned, Gloucester turned up the heat and it was the burly prop who took Paul's pass and then released Boer on his inside for the opening try two minutes before the break.
It could have been a crucial period for the Cherry and Whites as Mercier not only landed the conversion but booted his team further clear with a stoppage-time penalty. Bristol came out firing in the second half with Pichot taking a penalty quickly catching Gloucester off guard and went over to score.
The two sides traded the lead from there before Boer slotted a late kick to seal the result for Gloucester.
