Bristol Bears kicked off their Premiership campaign in style with a 42-24 bonus-point victory over Leicester Tigers – handing new Tigers boss Geoff Parling a tough start at Ashton Gate.
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Leicester looked sharp early on, with Jack van Poortvliet darting over and Adam Radwan bagging a brace to give the visitors a 17-10 advantage. AJ MacGinty’s penalty and a Fitz Harding try kept Bristol in touch.
Gabriel Ibitoye struck back just before half-time to level it up, and the Bears took control after the break as Tom Jordan’s penalty and a Gabriel Oghre score opened up a 10-point cushion.
Orlando Bailey gave Tigers hope, but Bristol’s new boy Josh Carrington marked his Premiership debut with a try, before the returning Louis Rees-Zammit lit up the stadium with a trademark solo effort in the final moments to cap the win.
The Welsh speedster – making his first league appearance since his NFL adventure – showed exactly why Bears fans are so excited, scorching from inside his own half to seal the deal.
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