Injuries sour Bristol's winning start to new league campaign

BRISTOL Bears beat Leicester Tigers 42-24 in their opening game of the 2025-26 Gallagher PREM season to go second in the early table but were left counting the injury costs after seeing three of their superstars limp off.

- john Evely

Jake Woolmore on the charge for Bristol Bears against Leicester

The Bears secured a bonus-point victory thanks to tries from Fitz Harding, Gabriel Ibitoye, Gabriel Oghre, Josh Carrington and Louis Rees-Zammit, with Tom Jordan adding 15 points with the boot on his PREM debut after making the move from Glasgow Warriors in the summer.

But injuries to fly-half AJ MacGinty, who kicked on penalty before making way with an Achilles injury, scrumhalf Harry Randall and wing Gabriel Ibitoye left a sour taste in victory.

Adam Radwan scored a brace of tries for Leicester with Jack van Poortliet and Orlando Bailey also touching down to earn a losing bonus point from new head coach Geoff Parling’s first league game in charge, having replaced Michael Cheika.

Bristol took the lead after just five minutes through the boot of MacGinty after the home side pack won a penalty against the head at a scrum to create the chance.

But it was Leicester's backline who flashed into life first, with Orlando Bailey zipping a flat pass out to Will Wand, who drew a defender and linked with Ollie Hassell-Collins, who in turn found an inside pass back to the supporting van Poortvliet to run in and finish a 70-metre attack with a try. Bailey converted.