Sale Sharks came away from Ashton Gate with a losing bonus point as Bristol Bears claimed a narrow 19–17 victory in the opening game of 2026.
The Sharks were dealt an early blow when Alex Wills was forced off for a head injury assessment in the opening minutes. Gus Warr entered the fray, with Raffi Quirke shifting out to the wing — a change that became permanent after Wills failed his HIA.
Despite the disruption, Sale settled quickly. George Ford looked to dictate territory, sending a high kick for the chase. Flats got the tap-back, and Tom Curry rose well to regather and drive into the Bristol 22, supported by Ford and RDP. The Sharks kept the ball alive, but the move ended with a knock-on just short of the line.
The first scrum of the game set the tone for a physical contest. England teammates Ellis Genge and Tom Curry were at the centre of the action as Bristol won a scrum penalty.
However, it was Sale who struck first. From a turnover following an unstraight Bristol lineout, the Sharks played confidently out of their own half. Ford linked neatly with RDP, who fired a long pass wide for Tom O’Flaherty to finish in the corner. Ford converted from the touchline to give Sale a 7–0 lead after 16 minutes.
Bristol looked to respond through Louis Rees-Zammit, but Sale’s defence stood firm. After several phases, the Bears lost the ball forward, allowing Quirke to pounce. Showing his pace, he beat Benhard Janse van Rensburg and fed Curry to carry play back into the Bristol 22, though another knock-on handed possession back to the hosts.
Rees-Zammit threatened again soon after, combining with Ravouvou to break to within five metres, but Luke Cowan-Dickie produced a crucial turnover to keep Sale in front heading towards the break.
The Bears finished the half strongly. A lineout deep inside the Sharks’ 22 allowed Bristol to set up a driving maul, and Joe Owen crashed over for the try. Jordan added the conversion to level the scores at 7–7 heading into half-time.
Jordan restarted play for the final 40 minutes, and once again it was the Sharks who struck first. From securing a lineout in the Bristol 22, Sale went through a series of pick-and-go phases from five metres out. Ernst van Rhyn had his turn and powered over the line. Ford added the extras to regain the lead for the Sharks, making it 14–7 after 43 minutes.
Ford then kept the scoreboard ticking with a penalty from 20 metres out, extending Sale’s advantage to 17–7. However, Bristol responded soon after through Moroni. Sale were penalised for a high tackle, allowing Jordan to kick deep into the 22. Benhard Janse van Rensburg offloaded to Moroni, who rounded the Sharks defence to score in the corner.
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White was shown a yellow card in the 64th minute for a high tackle, and Bristol looked to make the most of the numerical advantage. With ten minutes remaining, Ellis Genge broke through the Sharks defence before releasing Ravouvou, who charged through to score under the posts. This time, James Williams took over kicking duties and converted to put the Bears ahead 19–17 for the first time in the match.
In the closing minutes, Sale regained possession from the restart and worked their way into the Bristol 22. However, a strong Bears counter-ruck turned the ball over and sparked one final attacking opportunity for the hosts.
Despite Bristol’s efforts, they knocked the ball forward, giving Sale one last chance. The Sharks edged into the Bears’ half, but Santi Grondona won a decisive turnover at the breakdown as Sale became isolated. Replacement fly-half Sam Worsley then kicked the ball out to end the match and secure the win for Bristol Bears.
