Player ratings for both teams as Leicester Tigers secure an impressive win over Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate.
The result puts Leicester top of the Gallagher PREM table ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures.
Louis Rees-Zammit produced a moment of magic to open the scoring, accelerating through multiple defenders to finish under the posts.
Freddie Steward levelled in the corner after a superb Billy Searle kick, while Ollie Chessum had a try ruled out for an earlier knock-on.
Handling errors disrupted the contest before yellow cards for Matias Moroni and Tom Jordan left Bristol with 13 players. Leicester capitalised, with Adam Radwan racing onto a kick in-behind to score.
Still with a two-man advantage going into the second 40, Tigers extended their lead with a third try from Ollie Hassell-Collins before Jamie Blamire secured the bonus point through a maul.
However, missed conversions and several penalties from James Williams kept Bristol Bears in the contest, leaving them just six points behind with seven minutes remaining.
The visitors managed to see the game out despite a few late scares, earning a crucial win.
Bristol Bears player ratings
15 Tom Jordan — 4
14 Louis Rees-Zammit — 8
13 Matias Moroni — 5
12 James Williams — 7
11 Gabriel Ibitoye — 7
10 AJ MacGinty — 6
9 Harry Randall — 7
1 Ellis Genge — 6
2 Gabriel Oghre — 7
3 George Kloska — 6
4 Pedro Rubiolo — 7
5 Joe Batley — 6
6 Steven Luatua — 6
7 Fitz Harding — 7
8 Luka Ivanishvili — 8
Replacements
16 Tomas Gwilliam — N/A
17 Jake Woolmore — 6
18 Lovejoy Chawatama — 6
19 Josh Caulfield — 5
20 Joe Owen — 6
21 Kieran Marmion — 6
22 Jack Bates — N/A
23 Ben Grondona — 6
Leicester Tigers player ratings
15 Freddie Steward — 7
14 Adam Radwan — 7
13 Solomone Kata — 6
12 Orlando Bailey — 5
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins — 7
10 Billy Searle — 7
9 Tom Whiteley — 4
1 Archie Van der Flier — 5
2 Jamie Blamire — 7
3 Joe Heyes — 5
4 Cameron Henderson — 6
5 Ollie Chessum — 8
6 Aaron Wainwright — 6
7 Finn Carnduff — 7
8 Olly Cracknell — 7
Replacements
16 Samiuela Moli — 5
17 Mako Vunipola — 6
18 Will Hurd — 6
19 Elliott Stooke — N/A
20 Joaquin Moro — 7
21 Jack Van Poortvliet — 6
22 Will Wand — 7
23 Gabriel Hamer-Webb — 6
Star player — Luka Ivanishvili (Bristol Bears)
Ollie Chessum was a very strong contender and deserves a huge mention, but Ivanishvili's contribution needs huge recognition.
The Georgian was relentless at the breakdown, winning five turnovers and constantly disrupting Tigers' ball. He gave Leicester plenty to think about and was a constant nuisance around the ruck.
It has been an outstanding start to the season, and he was a major reason Bristol remained competitive throughout.
Biggest flop — Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears)
Jordan endured a nightmare evening for Bristol.
His high tackle earned him a costly yellow card, leaving his side badly exposed. He offered very little in open play and then made another costly error late on, knocking the ball on before stopping altogether.
He was fortunate that Leicester failed to punish the mistake with a crucial try. A really poor performance.
Match scorers
Bristol Bears: 16
- Tries: Louis Rees-Zammit (6')
- Cons: James Williams (7')
- Pens: James Williams (45', 60', 73')
- Yellow cards: Matias Moroni (32'), Tom Jordan (34')
Leicester Tigers: 22
- Tries: Freddie Steward (11'), Adam Radwan (37'), Ollie Hassell-Collins (42'), Jamie Blamire (65')
- Cons: Billy Searle (12')
