Premiership high-fliers Bristol were brought crashing down to earth in their Investec Champions Cup opener as tournament heavyweights Leinster beat them 35-12 at Ashton Gate.
Bristol had no answer to a second-half scoring blitz that saw four-time competition winners Leinster score three tries in six minutes.
The west country club had collected 36 touchdowns across just seven Premiership games this season, but their free-scoring style stalled on northern hemisphere club rugby’s biggest stage.
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Leinster had three players yellow-carded, yet Sam Prendergast’s 20-point haul – two tries and five conversions – underpinned an outstanding success that saw them cruise away from a 7-7 interval scoreline.
New Zealand international Jordie Barrett touched down on his Leinster debut, and there were also scores for wing Jordan Larmour and flanker Josh van der Flier in an emphatic bonus-point win.
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Bristol struck first through a Max Lahiff try that Benhard Janese van Rensburg converted, while wing Gabriel Ibitoye crossed late on, but Pat Lam’s team must now pick themselves up for a testing assignment against twice-Champions Cup winners La Rochelle in France next Saturday.
Bristol welcomed back England internationals Ellis Genge and Harry Randall following the Autumn Nations Series as they looked to carry strong domestic form on to a bigger stage.
Leinster fielded a host of their Ireland stars, but their real strength in depth was underlined by a replacements’ bench that featured Barrett, Caelan Doris, Andrew Porter and South Africa World Cup winner RG Snyman.
United States sevens star Ilona Maher, meanwhile, was introduced to the crowd before kick-off ahead of bolstering Bristol’s Premiership Women’s Rugby title bid when she joins them in January. Maher is the game’s most popular player on social media with more than eight million followers.
Jordie Barrett of Leinster in action against Viliame Mata of Bristol Bears during the Champions Cup Round 1 match between Bristol Bears and Leinster at Ashton Gate in Bristol, England. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Bristol suffered an early injury blow when fly-half AJ MacGinty went off after he was on the receiving end of a crunching Garry Ringrose tackle, with Joe Jenkins replacing him and centre Van Rensburg moving to number 10.
Leinster went close to an opening try near the end of an attritional first quarter, but Van der Flier was stopped inches short of line and Bristol cleared the danger.
Referee Pierre Brousset, having earlier issued Leinster with a general warning for indiscipline, yellow-carded hooker Ronan Kelleher for a maul offence, before the visitors temporarily went down to 13 players.
Kelleher had barely left the pitch when flanker Max Deegan tripped Bristol captain Fitz Harding just inside Leinster’s 22, and he also saw yellow.
Bristol had to capitalise, and they delivered the goods from their next attack when Lahiff powered over from close range and Van Rensburg added the conversion.
Ilona Maher and Jamie Roberts – PA
Leinster, though, were level just three minutes later after Prendergast’s kick into space eluded Bristol full-back Rich Lane, and Larmour accepted the gift, claiming a try that Prendergast converted.
That was the final scoring act of an intense opening half, as Leinster finished strongly despite their numerical disadvantage.
Barrett went on for the second half, replacing full-back Ciaran Frawley, while Porter, Doris and Snyman also soon joined the action.
Bristol saw Genge depart in the 46th minute, with the hint of a limp as he went off, and Porter was then yellow-carded – alongside Lahiff – for scrummaging infringements as Brousset continued clamping down.
Leinster provided a moment of individual brilliance when Prendergast beat three players to score an outstanding try that he converted, putting his team seven points ahead.
Worse was to follow for Bristol when Barrett weaved his way over from close range, then Prendergast finished off a sweeping move started by a rampaging Snyman, with the fly-half adding two more conversions.
Bristol were down and out, seeing their misery compounded by a Van der Flier try 17 minutes from time, converted by Prendergast, as Leinster sailed past 30 points.
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