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A late converted try from Kalaveti Ravouvou proved just enough for Bristol to maintain their winning streak with a 19-17 victory as Sale lost on the road at the Gallagher Prem for a sixth successive match.
There was little between the teams, who engaged in a titanic battle, but Bristol just overshadowed the contest by scoring three tries to two.
Joe Owen and Matias Moroni were also on the Bristol goal sheet, with Tom Jordan and James Williams each converting.
Tom O’Flaherty and Ernest van Rhyn touched down for Sale, with George Ford converting both and adding a penalty.
Sale suffered an early injury when they lost Alex Wills to a botched HIA after the wing was the target of a high challenge from Bears number 8 Viliame Mata. Gus Warr replaced him at scrum-half with Raffi Quirke playing on the wing.
England front row Ellis Genge played key role for Bristol
Bristol got the better of the early exchanges but, from their first attack, the Sharks took the lead when a succession of forward attacks at halfway created space for O’Flaherty. The winger took advantage of his opportunity brilliantly, racing 35 yards down the right flank to beat Ravouvou and score.
Ford nailed the conversion on the sideline and Sale had a 7-0 lead at the end of a spirited and competitive first quarter.
Ravouvou looked to have gained his revenge on O’Flaherty when he dismissed the Sale man on a deep run into the opposition’s 22, but Bears conceded a penalty to prevent them from capitalizing.
The home side then lost two players in quick succession, with opener Lovejoy Chawatama limping before Louis Rees-Zammit went off with a failed HIA.
Ford had a chance to extend the Sharks’ lead but made a full drop-goal attempt so Bristol had the chance to equalize at the interval when Owen completed a forward attack to force his way through for the final action of the half.
Four minutes after the restart, Sale regained the lead when an impressive lineout set the platform for Van Rhyn to secure the touchdown.
Ford converted before taking a simple penalty, but Bristol responded with the best try of the game when a deft pass saw Moroni fly over the corner.
Sale lost the lively Quirke to a leg injury and they suffered another setback when Rekeiti Ma’asi-White was sin-binned for deliberate offside as the visitors looked to fend off another strong run from Moroni.
Bristol made it count by scoring another splendid try as Williams’ break put the defense on the back foot to create a chance for Ravouvou with Williams’ conversion seeing the Bears home.
Newcastle fend off Gloucester to claim first win of the season
Newcastle held off a spirited comeback from compatriots Gloucester to claim their first Gallagher Prem victory of the season with a 25-19 victory at Kingston Park.
George McGuigan opened the scoring for Newcastle and, with both sides reduced to 14 men after Jamie Hodgson and Arthur Clark were knocked out, Tom Christie scored the hosts’ second try before Ollie Thorley responded for Gloucester.
Brett Connon’s penalty gave the Red Bulls a 15-5 lead at the break and after Simon Benitez Cruz’s try after the restart, Gloucester’s evening took a turn for the worse when Thorley was shown a red card in the 20th minute and Connon kicked another penalty.
Simone Benitez Cruz scores Newcastle’s third try
The Cherry and Whites threatened a late comeback with tries from Mikey Austin and Ciaran Knight, but Newcastle held on to secure their first Prem victory in nine outings.
An energetic start between the two basement clubs saw Gloucester apply some early pressure before Newcastle pushed into opposition territory and from a lineout on the left they used the maul to get over the line, with McGuigan landing and Connon converting.
A scuffle broke out between Hodgson and Clark in midfield, following which both second rowers were shown yellow in the 15th minute following a TMO consultation.
Only a minute later Newcastle scored their second try of the evening in similar style to their opener as Christie came out of the maul, but Connon’s kick flew wide.
The visitors responded when a quick switch to the right allowed Seb Atkinson to slip through the Red Bulls defense and offload Thorley to the ground before Ross Byrne sent his attempted conversion wide.
Christian Wade looked brilliant on his Prem debut for Newcastle with some promising moves and Connon kicked a penalty straight down the middle to extend their half-time advantage.
Benitez Cruz scored Newcastle’s third try soon after the restart after crossing the Gloucester line and slotting through the middle to cross the posts, with Connon adding the extras.
The visitors’ evening took another turn when Thorley was shown a red card on 20 minutes for a head collision straight from the kick-off and after a good period of pressure Connon extended Newcastle’s lead to 25-5 from the start.
Despite being a player down, Gloucester pulled one back after a great move from Cam Jordan to leap into space and pass to Austin, who dove over the line and Byrne converted.
The Cherry and Whites reduced the gap further with eight minutes remaining when Knight’s try was confirmed by the TMO, with Byrne adding the extras.
Another big move from the visitors saw them threaten again on the try line, but Newcastle came through a nervy final few minutes to claim victory.
