It's game day.
Bristol Bears face a daunting trip to Sale Sharks on Friday night in Round 11 of the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership.
Pat Lam's side come into the match off the back of a 14-24 defeat to West Country rivals Exeter Chiefs last weekend, while Sale Sharks also went down 21-17 away at Northampton Saints to miss out on going top of the league, instead Alex Sanderson's side sit third in the standings.
Bristol sit eighth in the standings heading into the weekend in desperate need of picking up points to stay in touch with the sides above them.
The game kicks off at 7.45pm on Friday night.
Follow all the build-up, team news, live play-by-play match updates, reaction, stats, analysis and highlights from the Salford Community Stadium with regular updates below...
Key Events
Reaction from Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam
Lam said:
"We needed that win a lot but more than anything I am proud because that was more like the Bristol Bears. Last week was frustratiing, we just didn't go to where we are meant to go and played like individuals. The whole focus this week was to do it the Bears way and play like a team and we said after match just look how much easier it is. We can play direct and use our options and it was much, much better.
"It was a huge defensive effort. We showed a bit of pride and were relentless, but we can do that becasue we kept our shape. We were disciplined and aggressive and it shows we have the energy to do it.
Reaction from Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson
Sanderson said:
It was an inconsistent display with some of our collisions, we were sloppy with our disicpline and just not effective enough when we got into the areas where you need to come away with points.
I think we had as many, if not more opportunties than Bristol, but came away with 50 percent less points on every occasion.
You can bang the drum around energy and physicality but you have got to make it count and we didn't tonight.
Our biggest focus for a couple of weeks has been scoring in the red zone, our struggle in that area is probably why we have been scrapping wins rather than seeing sides off and it will continue to be a focus for us over the next three weeks and probably into the Six Nations period. It is a concern but I believe we have got coaches good enough to put it right.
MATCH REPORT - Bristol Bears earn shock win away at Sale Sharks' fortress
Bristol Bears defied all expectations by ending play-off hopefuls Sale Sharks’ 12-game winning run at home to come away from the Salford Community Stadium with a 22-14 victory in Round 11 of the Gallagher Premiership.
Bears captain Steven Luatua labelled the performance his side's best defensive display of the season as they repeatedly held out against the Sale onslaught inside their 22, and in fact the hosts only crossed the whitewash once through their own construction with Jonny Hill opening the scoring for the hosts following a charge down on a box kick from Harry Randall who was suffering from a back injury at the time. Veteran Argentina great Augustin Creevy wrestled his way over the line late in the second half but it was not enough against the inspired Bears who scored three tries through Randall, Gabriel Ibitoye and Max Malins. The returning AJ MacGinty, playing in just his second Premiership game of season after suffering a hamstring injury on the opening day of the league campaign, added seven points with two successful conversions and a late penalty as Sale finished the match with 13-men after losing replacements Ben Bamber and Telusa Veainu to the sin-bin.
While Bristol scored three impressive tries, the defensive effort of replacement scrum half Kieran Marmion to corner-flag across and deny Joe Carpenter what looked like a certain try just before half time not only proved vital to the final scoreline but perfectly summarised the defensive effort by thee fired-up visitors who remain in eighth place in the standings despite the win, but now considerable closer to the sides at the top of the table.
Reaction from Bristol Bears captain Steven Luatua
Luatua, talking to TNT Sport said:
It is huge for us, as a team and a club we needed that.
In terms of our season going forward we definitely needed that tonight.
That was our best defensive performance of the season but Ben Curry had a field day at our breakdown but we will take the win tonight.
Winning collisions were key and we won more of them tonight than they did.
Match action
Official man of the match
Bristol centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg gets the man of the match award again, and rightly so.
14-22
FULL TIME - Sale Sharks 14 Bristol Bears 22
A huge win for Bristol who end a 12 game winning streak at home for Sale, their best run for 20 years.
The Bears will climb the table.
14-22
A final attack from Sale
Sale have a lineout on halfway and look to attack.
The hosts overthrow and Gabriel Oghre picks up at the back and takes off but he gets isolated and penalised for not releasing.
The hosts kick down-field, but at the lineout Joe Owen gets up to steal the ball and the Bears get the ball off the park for the win.
14-22
That should be the game
Sale are guilty of not rolling away after making a tackle near halfway.
That allows James Williams to kick his side into the corner.
This is a massive result for Bristol if they can finish the job.
Can they find a fourth try for a bonus point win?
14-22
Missed kick to the corner
Wow.
What a let off.
Rob du Preez over does a kick to the corner which hands the Bears a scrum 10m inside their own half.
14=22
PENALTY GOAL - Bristol Bears - 14-22
AJ MacGinty knocks over the penalty kick for the high tackle from right in front of the posts.
That makes it an eight point lead for Bristol.
14-22
YELLOW CARD - Sale Sharks - 14-19
Ben Bamber is off for 10 minutes after making contact to the head of James Williams as the second tackler in.
Sale are down to 13 men.
14-19
TMO
A high shot to the head of James Williams, who dipped late, might see Sale in trouble here.
The TMO comes in.
This will be key.
It should be a clickable penalty at the worst.
14-19
YELLOW CARD - Sale Sharks - 14-19
Telusa Veainu is yellow carded for a tip tackle on Gabriel Ibitoye.
Sale will finish with 14 men.
AJ MacGinty kicks to the corner.
14-19
A reprieve for Bristol
Young Sale scrum half Nye Thomas puts a box kick out on the full to hand Bristol a lineout to attack from.
The Bears just need some time in possession having put in a huge defensive effort in the last 20 minutes.
14-19
TRY - Sale Sharks - 14-19
Agustin Creevy breaks off the back of a maul following a lineout, attacking down the blindside.
He has so much work to do, with three Bristol defenders there, but the Sale hooker gets over the line and wrestles the ball down.
Rob du Preez adds a vital conversion kick from wide out to the left.
14-19
Bristol at risk of seeing yellow
Referee Karl Dickson gives AJ MacGinty, who has taken over as captain, an official warning after Bristol have conceded six penalties on the bounce.
Meanwhile Rob du Preez kicks to the corner again.
7-19
Key interception
Playing with a penalty advantage, Sale look to shift the ball wide but Max Malins reads the danger and gets a hand to the ball, he can't take it cleanly but knocks the ball backwards to break up what would have been a try scoring pass.
The pressure from the hosts continues though with a lineout inside the Bristol 22 to come.
7-19
Stunning defence
The Bears hold out for 15 phases defending their tryline for a series of powerful drives from Sale, but the visitors have strayed offside, meaning the Sharks will get another go.
7-19
Two huge senior figures depart
Steven Luatua limps off and Kyle Sinckler is withdraw for Bristol Bears.
Those are two very senior internationals to be without in the final quarter.
Youngster Joe Owen and George Kloska come off the bench.
7-19
Sale increasingly winning the breakdown
Sam Dugdale comes up with a jackle penalty after getting over the top of the ball following a Max Malins run.
Rob du Preez can kick his side down-field with a line out to come.
7-19
Ben Curry spoils another promising attack
Benhard Janse van Rensburg makes a 30m burst for the Bears as he fends off a weak armed tackle and breaks on the outside.
The ball is recycled and moved across the pitch with Kyle Sinckler making a powerful burst but Ben Curry hangs off the first tackle to be in position to jackle over the breakdown and win a turnover penalty for his side deep in his 22.
7-19
Alex Sanderson empties his bench
The Sale looks to wrestle momentum back for his side and brings on most of his replacements including the highly dangerous Telusa Veainu.
7-19
Turnover
Jordan Crane is going to be celebrating a bit defensive win as his side hold out Sale as they attack from a close-range lineout out.
After the drive from the maul is stopped, the Bears come up with a turnover in the centre of the field with AJ MacGinty coming away with the ball.
It is a massive moment.
7-19
Big turnover
Bristol are on the attack again with James Williams punching a hole through midfield but he does so well he gets a little isolated and Ben Curry is able to snap the ball up like he has magnets in his mitts.
7-19
TRY - Bristol Bears - 7-19
What a try that is, a combination of power and guile.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Josh Caulfield put in meaty carries as Bristol attack from a quick through Magnus Bradbury after winning a free kick at the scrum, the ball is worked wide and Steven Luatua offloads to Dan Thomas who slips a pass out the back of his hand to Max Malins who has the speed to race down the left touchline.
AJ MacGinty is unable to add the wide conversion, dragging his kick narrow of the posts.
7-19
