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Bristol simply could not contain Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson - Getty Images/David Rogers
Gloucester 53 Bristol Bears 28
With this nine-try hammering of their West Country rivals Gloucester moved up to third in the table and made a little bit of history in the process. Their winger Christian Wade scored his seventh Gallagher Premiership hat-trick to claim the all-time record, while the Cherry and Whites also completed a league double over Bristol for the first time since 2016-17. They were, as they have been so often this season, highly entertaining to watch.
Seb Atkinson, the 22-year-old centre, added a hat-trick of his own and was quite rightly awarded player of the match after terrorising Bristol throughout his 74 minutes on the field. The power Atkinson brought with his carrying might well be enough to catch Steve Borthwick’s eye ahead of England’s summer tour.
Given the 44-41 result after these two sides met at the end of September, along with their combined 20 try bonus points in the league this season, you always felt this could become a bit of a shootout.
What had not been on the cards was the way Gloucester raced into such a commanding lead, ahead 24-0 after the first 20 minutes as Bristol looked scrappy and off the pace, unable to stop Gloucester’s attacks from set-pieces. Santi Carreras, the incredibly talented Argentina international, was in full flow. His brilliant offload inside to Josh Hathaway set a high bar for the best bit of skill in the match.
Harry Byrne, Bristol’s No 10, on the other hand will not want to watch back his tackle attempt on Atkinson. Even accounting for the size mismatch, Byrne was folded up as Atkinson set up Chris Harris for Gloucester’s third score.
This game promised tries and it has fully delivered
Santi Carreras bags his third assist as Christian Wade finishes acrobatically in the corner #GallagherPrem | #GlovBRIpic.twitter.com/uir5hdyc0W
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 29, 2025
Still, you always expected Bristol would eventually sort themselves out given how well their season has gone, and so it proved. Harry Randall’s razor-sharp snipe created a score for the captain Fitz Harding, before centre James Williams finished off a burst from Rich Lane, and suddenly Bristol had half a chance down 24-14.
Except they still could not defend Gloucester’s strike moves. Charlie Atkinson this time turned creator, timing his pass as late as possible to Hathaway roaming off his wing, with Seb Atkinson on hand to add his second try.
Max Lahiff’s score, after a rare Carreras error set Bristol up in Gloucester’s territory, cut the gap but only briefly, with Wade diving over to finish well right on the cusp of half-time as Gloucester led 34-21.
If you like elite defence this was not a game for you, but the Premiership this season keeps serving up bags of sugar-filled tries and this was no different. The main question, even with a 13-point lead at the break, was whether Gloucester could hold their nerve when the waves of Bristol pressure eventually came.
No need to worry – one way to keep Bristol at bay was to keep piling on the tries. The Bears’ defence was found wanting for Seb Atkinson’s hat-trick score, after a tapped penalty and wide pass from Tomos Williams caught Bristol cold.
If there was a bit of skill to sum up how much Gloucester were in the mood it might have been Carreras’s no-look grubber kick, as Gloucester time and again found space in the wider channels after sucking Bristol in with their offloading game.
That same space eventually led to Wade’s historic hat-trick try. He just had way too much speed for the defence, easily winning the race to his own grubber kick. Having him back in the Premiership has been seriously fun.
James Williams, busy throughout, ensured Bristol left with something after his second try secured a bonus point. But really the only surprise was that Gloucester did not find a 10th try in this quality performance.
Match details
Scoring sequence: 5-0 Wade try, 10-0 Hathaway try, 15-0 Harris try, 17-0 Carreras con, 22-0 S Atkinson try, 24-0 C Atkinson con, 24-5 Harding try, 24-7 Byrne con, 24-12 J Williams try, 24-14 Byrne con, 29-14 S Atkinson try, 29-19 Lahiff try, 29-21 Byrne con, 34-21 Wade try, 39-21 S Atkinson try, 41-21 T Williams con, 46-21 Wade try, 48-21 T Williams con, 53-21 Barton try, 53-26 J Williams try, 53-28 MacGinty con
Gloucester: S Carreras; C Wade, C Harris, S Atkinson (W Butler 74), J Hathaway (G Barton 47); C Atkinson (C Englefield 68), T Williams; V Rapava-Ruskin (C Knight, 59), J Singleton (S Blake 52), A Fasogbon (K Gotovtsev 52), F Clarke (C Jordan 59), F Thomas, J Clement, L Ludlow (c), R Ackermann (H Taylor 73)
Bristol Bears: R Lane; J Bates, B Janse van Rensburg, J Williams, K Ravouvou (S Naulago 63); H Byrne (A MacGinty 46), H Randall (K Marmion 69); E Genge ( J Woolmore 50), G Oghre (H Thacker, 50), M Lahiff (J Halliwell 64), J Dun, P Pearce (J Heenan 59), S Luatua, F Harding (c, B Grondona 69), V Mata
Referee: C Ridley
Attendance 16,115
07:22 PM GMT
FULL-TIME: Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Clock in the red as Bristol keep playing in their half, without much joy. Now an offload puts Marmion into space but he has no support. Better from Bates and Thacker, reaching halfway.
Naulago is thumped by Carreras and that might be that... no, Bristol keep possession. Lost track of the phases at this point. Tomos Williams goes for an interception but misses, and that knock-on will be the end.
Emphatic stuff from Gloucester, very impressive. Nine tries against Bristol. The Shed will go home happy.
07:18 PM GMT
80 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Gloucester still looking for a tenth, starting with a scrum on halfway. Bit of room on the left for Barton, now they come right. Butler can’t quite bring in a pass and knocks on.
07:17 PM GMT
78 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Seb Atkinson is named player of the match, quite right too. The 22-year-old looks really promising and will hopefully go on tour with England this summer.
07:14 PM GMT
76 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Could it be 10? Barton goes close in the corner before being held up, Gloucester recycle... replays show Mata forced a knock-on so no try.
07:11 PM GMT
74 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Bristol trying to maul over through Thacker but they’re held up over the line. And after getting the ball back from the dropout, they knock on in the tackle. Rough going.
07:08 PM GMT
72 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Just not Bristol’s day, as Marmion and Mata can’t link up and knock on. To be fair the counter-ruck Gloucester well, sending them back to their own 22 and win possession, attacking near Gloucester’s 22.
Penalty coming for Bristol too for going off feet, which they will send to the corner.
07:05 PM GMT
68 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Scrum penalty for the Bears now as well, a bit of momentum. After getting into Gloucester’s half MacGinty’s kick pins Gloucester back into their 22.
07:02 PM GMT
66 mins - Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Benches being emptied now as Gloucester have a scrum on Bristol’s 22. Rare blip from Gloucester as Seb Atkinson knocks on carrying up into traffic.
06:59 PM GMT
TRY J WILLIAMS! Gloucester 53-28 Bristol
Ravouvou carries up off the scrum, folloewd by Thacker. Bristol about 10 metres out now. Sharp hands get the ball wide to Bates who is almost bundled into touch, but survives.
MacGinty with a show-and-go through a gap, and then just as it looks as though Gloucester’s blitz will shut things down, James Williams picks up a ball off the deck and gets through to score. Converted by MacGinty.
06:56 PM GMT
60 mins - Gloucester 53-21 Bristol
One of Bristol’s better spells as they clear and get into Gloucester’s half, before play is stopped while Harding gets some treatment. He’s good to carry on. Bristol’s scrum in an attacking position.
06:51 PM GMT
57 mins - Gloucester 53-21 Bristol
Gloucester on the move again, inside Bristol’s 22. Could Wade have a fourth? Ravouvou just about stops him and Gloucester then knock on. Bristol scrum right back by their try line.
06:50 PM GMT
Wade’s hat-trick score
06:49 PM GMT
55 mins - Gloucester 53-21 Bristol
Scrum penalty for Gloucester now, why not. Fair play to the two Bristol fans in front of the press box, surrounded by Gloucester supporters, who are sticking it out.
06:45 PM GMT
TRY BARTON! Gloucester 53-21 Bristol
Gloucester’s maul is brought down so they look wide, good work from Wade cutting in and waiting for support. Now wide the other way and Gloucester are in again! Just flooding the wider channels and Barton, off the bench finishes it off. No conversion.
Genge, walking off after being replaced, is getting the cheerio treatment and starts laughing, which the crowd appreciate by applauding him off.
06:43 PM GMT
50 mins - Gloucester 48-21 Bristol
Clarke getting some treatment before a Gloucester scrum, from which they kick deep. Impressed with how they have kicked on after the break despite their lead, no let-up.
More woe for Bristol as they’re turned over at the breakdown by Clement. Charlie Atkinson finds touch.
06:39 PM GMT
TRY WADE! Gloucester 48-21 Bristol
Gloucester are doing one thing brilliantly: creating space on the wings through their passing game. Wade gets it in some room, follows it up with a perfect grubber kick after Hathaway’s pass, has too much speed and is over! Hat-trick for Wade, he now has the most in Premiership history with seven, moving one clear of Chris Ashton. Tomos Williams converts from the touchline!
06:37 PM GMT
46 mins - Gloucester 41-21 Bristol
Carreras having fun, think that was a no-look kick down the touchline which had Bristol scrambling.
06:35 PM GMT
TRY S ATKINSON! Gloucester 41-21 Bristol
Like a knife from butter. Tapped by Tomos Williams, wide ball to Seb Atkinson who cruises over through a tackle for his hat-trick. Tomos Williams now on kicking duties... and he converts!
06:34 PM GMT
42 mins - Gloucester 34-21 Bristol
After a bit of kicking Charlie Atkinson’s low kick has Ravouvou in trouble, with Gloucester turning him over and going on the attack. It comes to nothing but we’re back for the penalty, five metres out.
06:33 PM GMT
Back underway
Quite hard to ask both teams to top the nine tries from the first half, but, let’s see them give it a go, shall we.
06:26 PM GMT
Gloucester’s sixth try of the first half
This game promised tries and it has fully delivered
Santi Carreras bags his third assist as Christian Wade finishes acrobatically in the corner #GallagherPrem | #GlovBRIpic.twitter.com/uir5hdyc0W
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 29, 2025
06:17 PM GMT
HALF-TIME: Gloucester 34-21 Bristol
Told you there would be tries.
Six for Gloucester, three for Bristol, with Seb Atkinson and Wade both eyeing up hat-tricks for the home side. Bristol were in a right hole at 24-0 down but have battled back into it, sort of. Gloucester desperate to see this out after the break.
06:16 PM GMT
TRY WADE! Gloucester 34-21 Bristol
Bristol defend that Gloucester maul well initially, it travels so far sideways it’s in line with the posts, but then are pinged. Tomos Williams with a quick tap and has he scored? Stopped inches short. Hathaway in so much space with his hands up but they go the other way, get it to Wade who dives over in the corner for his second! What a finish that is.
06:13 PM GMT
40 mins - Gloucester 29-21 Bristol
Not a lot of momentum for Gloucester after some big Bristol hits, but then the Bears infringe at the ruck. Corner or posts? Corner...
06:12 PM GMT
39 mins - Gloucester 29-21 Bristol
Seen some great stuff from Bristol and some really average stuff too. Now after a low pass they give up an offside penalty and Gloucester kick to the corner? Six first-half tries, Jeremy? That would be insane.
06:10 PM GMT
TRY LAHIFF! Gloucester 29-21 Bristol
Soft error from Carreras dropping a kick gives Bristol an attacking scrum deep in Gloucester’s half.
Bristol’s pack go through some good phases until Gloucester are pinged at the breakdown. That leads to a bit of a shoving and about time to, this is a derby after all.
Bristol will tap it, right under Gloucester’s posts. Another breakdown penalty coming Bristol’s way but they’ve over anyway! Lahiff finishes it off. Right in it now. Byrne converts.
06:05 PM GMT
TRY S ATKINSON! Gloucester 29-14 Bristol
Gloucester off those strike moves are making this look easy. This time from the scrum Charlie Atkinson carries up and Hathaway runs a perfect late line looping off his wing, before passing back inside to Seb Atkinson for his second. Lovely.
Horror conversion miss from Charlie Atkinson, off the post!
06:03 PM GMT
31 mins - Gloucester 24-14 Bristol
Good kicking battle won by Gloucester, finding touch in Bristol’s half thanks to Carreras. Bristol don’t get far either, one pull-back pass too many as they knock on. Gloucester in a decent position 40 metres out towards the touchline.
05:59 PM GMT
TRY J WILLIAMS! Gloucester 24-14 Bristol
Ackermann pinged at the breakdown which means Bristol can get some breathing room, finding touch near halfway. Gloucester off their feet at the breakdown but Randall puts in a 50:22 anyway, very nice. Bristol on the attack.
Good lineout off the top, then Mata carries up. Genge next. Wider now as Lane somehow slips out of a tackle from Carreras before dragged down, Bristol recycle and James Williams is over! Comeback on? Converted by Byrne.
05:58 PM GMT
Gloucester running hot
05:57 PM GMT
25 mins - Gloucester 24-7 Bristol
Gloucester’s turn now to send a restart out on the full, through Carreras. Decent breeze blowing around Kingsholm.
Off the scrum Bristol try a switch move. Byrne’s pass looks forward from the stands but play continues, Ravouvou chipping ahead only for the ball to bounce into touch five metres from Gloucester’s line.
Lineout safely won Gloucester try to run out from deep, brilliant hands and they’re into space, near halfway. Seb Atkinson finds room and gets hauled down five metres out! The handling from Gloucester’s forwards has been first-rate so far. Nearly in for a fifth.
Bristol lineout five metres from their line.
05:53 PM GMT
TRY HARDING! Gloucester 24-7 Bristol
We saw a big score coming, just not this one-sided.
Bristol trying to build in Gloucester’s half as Hathaway gives up a soft penalty. Randall breaks with a snipe, going past Fasogbon, and finds the captain Harding for a score! The visitors back in it. Byrne converts.
05:51 PM GMT
TRY S ATKINSON! Gloucester 24-0 Bristol
Gloucester pulling out some party tricks here. It’s really nice from Charlie Atkinson, good flat ball finding the space out wide to get Gloucester behind Bristol’s defence. It gets to Hathaway but rather than showing the short inside ball, he loops one over the top to Williams, who feeds S Atkinson. Converted by Carreras, bonus point in the bag for Gloucester. Are Bristol actually here yet?
05:49 PM GMT
17 mins - Gloucester 17-0 Bristol
Bristol just not at the races, as Byrne sends a restart beyond the dead ball line to give Gloucester a midfield scrum.
05:47 PM GMT
TRY HARRIS! Gloucester 17-0 Bristol
That is not a tackle Byrne will want to watch back. Seb Atkinson can do damage with those runs crashing up off the lineout but he goes right over the top of Byrne there, before passing to give Harris an easy score. Carreras converts. Bristol in trouble.
05:45 PM GMT
14 mins - Gloucester 10-0 Bristol
Cracking tackle from Genge on Charlie Atkinson, bobbling the ball with the England prop bearing down on him, leads to a Gloucester knock-on. Carreras down getting some treatment but he’s good to continue.
Scrum barely moves, Randall on a loop move before Bates is tackled well by Hathaway. Turnover penalty Gloucester! Rapava Ruskin getting over the ball. Hard to shift him. Carreras finds touch just outside the Bristol 22.
05:42 PM GMT
12 mins - Gloucester 10-0 Bristol
Not an unsurmountable hole for Bristol to dig themselves out of, but a hole nonetheless. Genge forces an offload before Bristol are bundled into touch by Fasogbon.
Off the lineout, Bristol go nowhere and are turned over, but Carreras’ grubber doesn’t lead to much. Bristol pinned back.
05:39 PM GMT
TRY HATHAWAY! Gloucester 10-0 Bristol
What a ball from Carreras. Spicy. Bristol’s attack falls apart as the ball goes to ground and Gloucester pounce on it, Hathaway hacking on before Carreras scoops it up. Under pressure he flicks it back inside to Hathaway who has an easy finish. No conversion.
05:38 PM GMT
7 mins - Gloucester 5-0 Bristol
Gloucester almost in again but this time a kick through bounces dead. Ravouvou left on an island there before Harris cut through, just too much zip on Hathaway’s kick. Bristol clear.
05:37 PM GMT
TRY WADE! Gloucester 5-0 Bristol
Brilliant finish from Wade sprinting to dot down a kick through from Carreras, but it was made by Harris’s run in midfield, stepping inside Janse van Rensburg and popping the ball to Charlie Atkinson. Nice looped pass behind from Seb Atkinson too in the buildup as all the backs get involved in that set move off a lineout. No conversion.
05:34 PM GMT
4 mins - Gloucester 0-0 Bristol
Gloucester try a loop move but it’s all a bit out of sync as Atkinson’s pass goes to ground. Decent scrum beforehand, looked as though Bristol had a slight nudge. We’ll have another.
After a Chris Harris carry Bristol turn it over and hack upfield, but that’s good work from Gloucester to get back and scrap for the ball, winning a penalty after Bristol go off their feet.
05:33 PM GMT
2 mins - Gloucester 0-0 Bristol
Bristol in possession near halfway, bit of room out wide but Janse van Rensburg’s pass to Ravouvou is very forward. The Shed let him know, which was nice of them. Gloucester scrum.
05:31 PM GMT
Kickoff!
Gloucester in red, Bristol in white, the Shed is humming. Here we go.
05:28 PM GMT
Some good head-to-heads
Tomos Williams against Harry Randall, obviously, but I’m also keen to see how Seb Atkinson and James Williams go up against each other. Williams a really underrated player.
05:23 PM GMT
George Skivington expecting lots of tries
Let’s hope he is right.
05:21 PM GMT
Ten minutes to go
Gloucester effectively ran through Bristol’s warm-up to get back to the changing room.
05:08 PM GMT
The 31-year-old coach running Gloucester’s firing attack
Charlie Morgan spoke this week to James Lightfoot-Brown, once of London Irish and now masterminding Gloucester’s free-flowing attack.
05:06 PM GMT
England bossing things in Cardiff
Three tries in response to going behind early in the Women’s Six Nations, with Sarah Bern grabbing their third in the first 20 minutes.
Live updates from that game here.
05:02 PM GMT
Might have jinxed the weather
You still need a coat at Kingsholm. Shame. The sun earlier made me think spring had arrived.
Still, it’s dry. Both teams will give the ball some air.
04:58 PM GMT
Another big win for Bath
It’s a 47-28 win for the league leaders, making that 11 out of 13 in the league this season. Harlequins come away with a try bonus point having been down 26-0.
Latest reaction here.
04:55 PM GMT
A result at Sandy Park
Exeter, thanks to this latest of late tries from Greg Fisilau, have pipped Newcastle Falcons for a 17-15 win. Only Exeter’s third win of the season.
STOLEN AT THE DEATH!
Greg Fisilau wins it for the @ExeterChiefs with one of the final plays of the game #GallagherPrem | #EXEvNEWpic.twitter.com/jNM1mYgnbF
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 29, 2025
04:51 PM GMT
Here’s what happened when the two sides met in Round Two
04:36 PM GMT
Reminder of the teams
One late change for Bristol, with Josh Caulfield dropping out. Paddy Pearce starts with Benjamin Grondona on the bench.
Gloucester: 15 Santi Carreras, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Josh Hathaway, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 4 Freddie Clarke, 5 Freddie Thomas, 6 Jack Clement, 7 Lewis Ludlow (c), 8 Ruan Ackermann
Replacements: 16 Seb Blake, 17 Ciaran Knight, 18 Kirill Gotovtsev, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Harry Taylor, 21 Caolan Englefield, 22 Will Butler, 23 George Barton
Bristol Bears: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Jack Bates, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 James Williams, 11 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Harry Randall; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 3 Max Lahiff, 4 James Dun, 5 Paddy Pearce, 6 Steven Luatua, 7 Fitz Harding (c), 8 Viliame Mata
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Jimmy Halliwell, 19 Benjamin Grondona, 20 Jake Heenan, 21 Keiran Marmion, 22 AJ MacGinty, 23 Siva Naulago
04:30 PM GMT
Welcome
Afternoon everybody, lovely conditions here at a sold-out Kingsholm for what is actually the second West Country derby in a row for these two sides.
Gloucester fell short away at Bath - no shame there, given that Johann van Graan’s side look like the most likely title winners - while Bristol won a bonkers game at home to Exeter, with those results leaving Gloucester in sixth and Bristol in second. Neither team are exactly shy in attack, racking up 20 try bonus points in the league this season, and no side has earned more of those than Bristol with 11. So this could potentially get out of hand - in a good way - a bit like when they met at the start of the season in round two, when Gloucester came out on top in a 44-41 classic at Ashton Gate.
Per the statistician Stuart Farmer, Gloucester have won their last four Premiership Rugby fixtures at Kingsholm and have
not won five in a row at the venue since October 2022. Bristol Bears on the other hand have lost just two of their last seven Premiership matches, at home to Sale in round nine and at Saracens in round 10. That loss to Saracens also brought the Bears’ ten-match winning run on the road in Premiership Rugby to an end. Victory at home over Bristol would also mark a bit of history for Gloucester, having not achieved a season’s double over their near neighbours since the 2016/17 season.
In terms of team news, George Skivington has made four changes for Gloucester, as Charlie Atkinson and Josh Hathaway come in whilst Val Rapava-Ruskin and Jack Singleton join the pack.
Meanwhile, England international Ellis Genge makes his return following the birth of his child last week, one of three changes with Josh Caulfield starting in the second row in the absence of the injured Joe Owen, while centurion Steven Luatua replaces the suspended Santiago Grondona at blindside.
More buildup on the way ahead of kickoff at 5.30pm - this should be fun.
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