Desperation and effort, as so often is the case in sport, proved the key ingredient to Bristol Bears’ gritty 15-12 win over Harlequins at The Stoop.
With two minutes remaining, having been under the pump for almost the entire second half, monstrous South African centre Andre Esterhuizen - who had been practically unstoppable all game - was galloping home for the match-winning try following a blistering break from replacement Oscar Beard. But Bristol’s rearguard thought differently with AJ MacGinty felling the giant with a single finger as his tap tackle tangled the Springbok’s feet.
Still his momentum was taking Esterhuizen over the tryline only for Tom Whiteley to come out of nowhere and knock it out of his grasp inches from the whitewash which was fading into the turf under the downpour in West London.
