Bristol kicked off their Gallagher Premiership season with a low-profile 24-3 win away at a much-improved Newcastle facet on Friday night time.
Away from the glamour tie at Recreation Floor, the place Bathtub hosted Northampton in a repeat of final yr’s Premiership closing, below gray overcast skies within the north-east, Newcastle and Bristol engaged in a scrum-ridden arm wrestle which opened up within the second half.
Newcastle, after a full summer season of pre-season toughening up below director of rugby Steve Diamond, have been a a lot sterner check than the facet that capitulated to a document 85-14 defeat at Ashton Gate 5 months in the past however nonetheless fell to their twenty second league defeat on the bounce.
A brace from Max Malins and tries from James Williams and Siva Naulago, with AJ MacGinty including two conversions, delivered Bristol’s bonus level win at Kingston Park. Newcastle registered simply three factors from the boot of fly-half Brett Connon.
In distinction to the hosts – who handed debuts to summer season signings Connor Doherty and Sammy Arnold within the centres and Tom Gordon at openside, with new prop Luan de Bruin coming off the bench and academy scrum-half Joe Davis making his debut from the replacements – Bristol boss Pat Lam named a whole matchday 23 who have been on the membership final season.
Match Abstract 
Bristol opened the scoring inside 5 minutes after lock James Dun was put by a niche within the midfield because the away facet attacked off a lineout and the ahead produced a luxurious back-of-the-hand offload to centre Williams who had the tempo to run in. Fly-half MacGinty missed a comparatively routine shot at objective.
After the intense begin, Newcastle pinned the Bears deep into their half for almost all of the subsequent 35 minutes, however turned down a number of probabilities to go for objective in favour of kicking to the nook and have been unable to transform their superior possession and territory into factors.
Ellis Genge ended one assault with a thunderous sort out on Callum Chick, dislodging the ball from the Falcons captain. With the ultimate play of the primary half, Newcastle received a scrum penalty which Connon transformed to make it a two-point recreation on the break.
Bristol struck shortly once more after the interval. Harry Randall sniped from the bottom of the ruck to get near the strive line and Jake Heenan saved the momentum of the transfer alive with a fast move out to Benhard Janse van Rensburg. He easily whipped the ball to Naulago who completed the flowing transfer with a one-handed diving end within the nook and MacGinty transformed.
The Falcons’ resolve was operating out and affected person play from Bristol noticed Malins take a move at full pace to burst over the road and put the outcome past doubt.
The all-important bonus level was delivered by Malins, who took a intelligent cross-field kick from MacGinty over his shoulder to dot the ball down.
