Rugby Union: Bristol to part with Davies

Bristol 24 Leicester 27

BRISTOL were last night on the verge of parting company with Alan Davies, their director of coaching. A statement issued prior to yesterday's Allied Dunbar Premiership One match at home to Leicester added to speculation that Davies, who took over affairs on the field two years ago to the month and still has two years remaining of his contract, would become the third club coach to be sacked in the last 11 days following the departures of Bob Dwyer from Leicester and Willie Anderson from London Irish. In addition, Brian Ashton resigned as Ireland coach last week.

The Bristol statement said: "Following speculation, Bristol Rugby Club confirm that a meeting took place between chairman Arthur Holmes and and director of coaching Alan Davies on Friday, 27 February. The club at this stage do not wish to make a statement prior to an important game against Leicester."

And with the likes of Dwyer, Ashton and Anderson lurking on the periphery looking for work, it was little wonder that the rumour mills were working overtime in the West Country.

The vultures gathered at the Memorial Ground and, if not exactly perched on the crossbars, their presence could certainly be sensed, hovering in the wings just waiting to pick at what was left of the bottom-of-the-table club after the Tigers had finished with the carcass.

It had looked pretty much all over at the interval, by which time Leicester had run in two tries, the second to Neil Back, captain for the day, while Martin Johnson had a day off. But Bristol put up a brave show throughout, their forwards heroic in their endeavours and their backs forever probing the opposition line looking for a gap.

But they were rocked by Leon Lloyd's 13th-minute try, their defence sliced open by a smart bit of work by Will Greenwood, and that, coupled with the accurate boot of fly-half (and backs coach) Joel Stransky, had created a seemingly satisfactory cushion by half-time.

Bristol had scored a try themselves. An opportunist effort by the scrum- half, Gareth Baber, who darted down the blindside at a scrum 25 metres out, chipped cheekily over the advancing Lloyd and picked up the return to touch down and give Paul Burke the simplest of conversions.

Leicester stretched their lead after the interval when Stuart Potter darted through from 25 metres out, Stransky adding the conversion. At least Bristol went down fighting, literally at times, as two yellow cards for the hooker Fabrice Landreau and flanker David Corkery bore testimony.

A penalty a few metres from the Leicester line after a sustained spell of pressure saw the ball whipped left for the burly Bristol No 8, Steve Pearce - who had a storming match - to thunder over. Burke converted, but Stransky's second penalty restored the 10-point cushion. On the stroke of full-time, the centre, Adam Larkin, was put over in the corner but even with Burke's third successful conversion it was not enough. The vultures were left to make a meal of Bristol's, and Davies', plight.

Bristol: J Lewsey; K Chesney, A Larkin (S Martin, 80), K Maggs, D Yapp; P Burke (capt), G Baber; M Morgan, F Landreau, K Fullman, C Eagle, T Devergie, D Corkery, S Pearce, J Brownrigg.

Leicester: G Murphy; A Healey, W Greenwood, S Potter, L Lloyd; J Stransky, J Hamilton; G Rowntree, R Cockerill, D Garforth, M Corry, F van Heerden, L Moody, E Miller (P Gustard, 47), N Back (capt).

Referee: N Cousins (Dulwich)