A moment of magic from star centre Semi Radradra secured the Bristol Bears their first win away at Sale Sharks for five years to give them the narrowest of advantages heading back to Ashton Gate next Friday.
In the first leg of their round of 16 European Heineken Champions Cup clash against Sale, the Bears won 10-9 after Radradra broke the line and ran in the only try of the game from 40m out in the 72nd minute to clinch the victory, with Callum Sheedy's conversion, in a match that failed to live up to the occasion.
With so much at stake, both sides faltered under the pressure for much of the tie between the two Premiership side.
The first hour was a gruelling affair with territory seeming to be the only important statistic aside from the score-line.
Rob du Preez’s boot put the hosts six points up following a pair of infringements at the breakdown from the Bristol pack in their own 22.
Sheedy got his side on the board after Sale captain Jono Ross was caught going in at the side to reduce the gap to three points.
As the heavens began to open the contest began to resemble a tennis game, with the scrum-halves exchanging box kicks for what felt like the remaining minutes of the opening half.
Whenever either side did manage to build up more than a phase some loose play around the breakdown or poor handling led to another change of possession, rendering momentum impossible to come by.
Bristol’s box office bench began to unload in the opening minutes of the second half, with Charles Piutau in particular painting a far more threatening picture for the Sale defence.
As the game advanced Sale looked to be far more menacing with the ball in hand, but Bristol more than matched them as they flexed their defensive organisation and ability to turnover the ball in the breakdown.
The deadlock was broken when Radradra, having started the game amongst the replacements, ran a picture-perfect line off Piers O'Conor that saw him break free through the centre and then step off his right foot to beat Sale's final defender Simon Hammersley, with the Fijian touching down between the posts to give Bristol the lead.
Radradra then got caught going in at the side of the ruck to gift a penalty to Sale, with Rob du Preez slotting it over from 35 metres out to reduce the gap to just a point as minutes remained.
Despite a valiant final effort from the Sharks, Bristol turned the ball over at the ruck to end the game, and give them the advantage heading into the second leg next weekend.
While the game was error-strewn and dire to watch at time, it was a tough performance from the Bears who showed grit to grind out the result and give them the advantage heading into the second leg.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam's tactics of naming one of the strongest replacement lists ever seen at club level appeared to work on this occasion with the substitutes undeniably the catalyst in the shift of the game.
You only wonder whether the away side would have a bigger margin of victory to take into the home tie had the superstars spent more time on the pitch. Lam confirmed his selection was in part forced following illness in the camp earlier in the week.
With Bristol’s Gallagher Premiership campaign in tatters after a tough season, this victory could prove crucial in turning their year around with the club's focus shifted towards Europe.
With a point advantage heading into the rematch at Ashton Gate next week, it would be fair to say that it is advantage Bristol Bears - just.
Sale Sharks: 15. Luke James, 14. Jack Metcalf, 13. Sam James, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. Aaron Reed, 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Faf de Klerk, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Jacobus Wiese, 5. Lood de Jager, 6. Jean-Luc du Preez, 7. Jono Ross (c), 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements: 16. Ewan Ashman, 17. Simon McIntyre, 18. Coenie Oosthuizen, 19. Matthew Postlethwaite, 20. Tommy Taylor, 21. Raphael Quirke, 22. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23. Simon Hammersley.
Bristol Bears: 15. Luke Morahan, 14. Jack Bates, 13. Piers O'Conor, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Alapati Leiua, 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Harry Randall, 1. Jake Woolmore, 2. Bryan Byrne, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Joe Joyce (c), 6. Chris Vui, 7. Sam Jeffries, 8. Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Yann Thomas, 18. John Afoa, 19. Steven Luatua, 20. Fitz Harding, 21. Andy Uren, 22. Semi Radradra, 23. Charles Piutau
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Thomas Charabas (France) and Jonathan Dufort (France)
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure (France)
