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Overview
Season so far
Tournament record
Bristol Bears back Luke Morahan, who has made the most breaks in the European Rugby Challenge Cup this season
Bristol Bears, the only team in the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a maximum 15 points from their three games this season, will need to overturn history at Stade Francais Paris on Saturday if they are to continue that magnificent run.
Each of the clubs’ three meetings has been won by the home side – including last week’s match at Ashton Gate, where the runaway Pool 4 leaders triumphed 37-11.
Key facts
- Although Stade lost their last home game in the Challenge Cup, they have never lost consecutive home matches in the same European campaign.
- Bristol top the charts for most points, tries, defenders beaten, tackles and turnovers in this season’s Challenge Cup.
- Bristol’s Harry Thacker and Charles Piutau were Round 3 leaders in tackles and carries respectively in the competition.
🚨 ICYMI@harry_thacker's second-half score got the 🏉 rolling after the interval. 💥
Recap all of the action from Saturday's @ERChallengeCup victory. ⬇️
— Bristol Bears (@BristolBears) December 10, 2019
Harry Thacker’s try with three minutes to go seized a narrow victory for Bristol Bears at Stade Jean Bouin which virtually assures them a quarter-final place in the European Challenge Cup.
With a ten-point lead now over Brive in Pool 4, the Bears are all-but through, but they didn’t have it easy against Stade Francais, for whom defeat confirms their elimination.
🍿 The show goes on.
UP THE BEARS! 🐻
— Bristol Bears (@BristolBears) December 14, 2019
After Callum Sheedy’s early penalty for Bristol, Waisea Vuidarvuwalu blasted through the tackle of Piers O’Connor to cross the line after a lengthy period of pressure from the hosts. Nicolas Sanchez added the conversion.
After Pablo Matera was yellow carded for Stade on 27 minutes, Bristol’s forwards capitalised and barged over the line after a lineout, with Will Capon emerging from the pile of bodies with ball in hand. The conversion hit the post though, giving Stade a 10-8 half time lead.
Joris Segonds booted a penalty after a Bristol infringement at the scrum to stretch the hosts’ lead to 16-11 with 20 minutes left, and they held on to it until three minutes from time.
Bristol were held up twice right on the try line but eventually Thacker surged over just left of the posts, making Sheedy’s task to slot the match-winning conversion a simple one.
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