Pool 1: Bristol 17-31 BullsMauled Bears sorely miss Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler in scrum
A sobering defeat for Bristol. A sobering defeat for English rugby. The Bulls were far from at full strength, leaving multiple Springboks at home, but they navigated the absences, not to mention the 6,000 miles and 20C drop in temperature from their Pretoria home, to win at Ashton Gate in some comfort.
Bristol were not at full strength either, most obviously missing their England props, Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler. Boy, could they have used them. The Bulls marmalised the Bears up front, particularly at scrum time, where the penalty count was six to none in favour of the visitors. What is more, amid all the senseless red cards for unavoidable accidents, we were reminded of that other nonsensical quirk in rugby’s disciplinary universe – yellow cards for beaten prop forwards.