BRISTOL SONICS 78

GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARRIORS 26 

Gloucestershire Warriors were outmuscled and outplayed by a powerful Bristol Sonics outfit who consolidated their place at the top of Pool 1 in the West of England division.

The home side raced into 36-4 lead at half time, before holding off a spirited fightback from the visitors in the second period.

The Warriors were on the back foot for much of the first half, with veteran Kirk Lewis scoring their only try of the period in the closing seconds.

Ash Lewis was the inspiration for a better second half display, scoring a hat-trick of tries and adding one conversion. Hector Silva also crossed the whitewash, while Dean Cooper and Kieran Cox added a conversion apiece.

However, the damage had been done as the Sonics turned up the heat from the very first minute when Jack Farler crossed for the first of his hat-trick before Mike Gaston added a second a few minutes later and Dom Swann added the first of his 11 goals.

Both sides then had scores chalked off before Alex Potts, went over. It became something of a procession then as Gaston, Farler, Alun Robert-Jones and Joe Uren all touched down before Ash Lewis kicked to the wing where Kirk Lewis was waiting to catch the ball, step inside a defender and score.

A cheeky restart to the second half led to Ash Lewis scoring his first try but that seemed to be a consolation as Will Tobin, Uren and Roberts-Jones piled on the agony with scores.

By this time, injuries had forced Alex Hoyle and Ben Barradine from the field leaving the Warriors with just two men on the bench.

Ash Lewis sliced through from a penalty to score again but Farler and former Warrior Nathan Rainer scored to extend the lead to 50 points.

The Warriors had found their rhythm and were pressurising the Sonics defence and Hector Silva scored from a rampaging run before Ash Lewis completed his hat-trick with another solo effort.

However, they were caught on the break and Wes Long and Jonny Mawer completed the rout for the cock-a-hoop Sonics.