Bristol Bears blew a golden opportunity to make more club history as they were defeated 35-29 by 14-man Sale Sharks in the second leg of the European Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 at Ashton Gate.
Despite playing for 44 minutes with 14-men or fewer after winger Aaron Reed was shown a red card for a high tackle on Bears winger Luke Morahan, the visitors advance to the quarter-finals 44-39 on aggregate, while Bristol are left looking for meaning and motivation from their remaining four league games.
The game was back and forth throughout the 80 minutes, as countless disciplinary errors and infinite momentum shifts made for a heart-stopping game.
A Luke Morahan brace along with tries from Harry Thacker and captain Joe Joyce were not enough to overcome the stubborn Sale Sharks, who simply refused to be defeated with tries from Lood de Jager, Akker van der Merwe, Tom Roebuck and Jono Ross.
Callum Sheedy opened scoring with a penalty, as Faf de Klerk was sent to the bin for a cynical early tackle on Fitz Harding in the build-up to a ruled-out Jake Kerr try.
The disadvantage did not hamper Sale however, as Rob du Preez slotted a penalty over before de Jager picked and drove over from short range to give Alex Sanderson’s men the lead.
Reed’s red card for a nasty high tackle on Luke Morahan should have signalled a turning of the tide, but Sharks further extended their lead as the clock went red with van der Merwe finding a gap around the maul to go over and give his side a 13-point lead on aggregate.
With Bristol coming out the sheds with the message to drive home their one man advantage it astoundingly to Sale just 12 seconds to breach the defence again as Rob du Preez’s kick-off as fumbled, Manu Tuilagi recovered the ball before it was cycled wide for Roebuck to score in the corner.
Sale got themselves deeper into a disciplinary hole in the 48th minute as Nick Schonert was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Joe Joyce which seemed to shift the momentum in Bristol’s favour, with Harry Thacker scoring off a maul following the infraction.
Pat Lam’s men continued their stride forwards as Luke Morahan received a beautiful looping pass from Harry Randall on the right to score.
Bears levelled the game and gained the lead of the tie as aggregate in the 65th minute as captain Joe Joyce spun around Rohan Janse van Rensburg to get a clear run in from short range. But that was the high point of the game for the troubled Bears as their indiscipline saw the opportunity to claim the club's first Champions Cup semi-final slip through their fingers.
Almost instantly another Rob du Preez penalty put Sale ahead, before adding another three points minutes later.
The visitors appeared to put the tie to bed as a competition for a cross-field kick in the Bristol 22 between Tom Roebuck and Harry Randall was ruled to have missed both men, but captain Jono Ross wisely followed the play and touched the ball down, with the play being ruled a try following rigorous TMO checks.
A final twist came in the closing minute as Morahan scored his second in the corner, putting Bristol within just five points of the aggregate lead moments after Sale replacement Tommy Taylor had denied Bristol's Andy Uren a try in the corner, forcing a knock on.
Hope was finally extinguished 90 seconds from time as JP du Preez stole back possession from the restart as he ripped the ball in a tackle on Semi Radradra to allow his side to see off the remaining minute, and advance to quarter-final where Racing 92 or Stade Francais will be waiting for them.
With any hopes of adding a trophy to the cabinet now null and void, Bristo have no other option but to recover some lost pride in the Gallagher Premiership if this season is not to be considered a total dud, with a South West battle against Gloucester awaiting them next Friday at Ashton Gate.
Bristol Bears: 15. Rich Lane, 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Piers O'Conor, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Alapati Leiua, 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Harry Randall, 1. Jake Woolmore, 2. Jake Kerr, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Joe Joyce (c), 6. Fitz Harding, 7. Sam Jeffries, 8. Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Yann Thomas, 18. John Afoa, 19. Steven Luatua, 20. John Hawkins, 21. Andy Uren, 22. Semi Radradra, 23. Charles Piutau.
Sale Sharks: 15. Luke James, 14. Thomas Roebuck, 13. Sam James, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. Aaron Reed, 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Faf de Klerk, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Jacobus Wiese, 5. Lood de Jager, 6. Jean-Luc du Preez, 7. Jono Ross (c), 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements: 16. Ewan Ashman, 17. Simon McIntyre, 18. Coenie Oosthuizen, 19. JP du Preez, 20. Tommy Taylor, 21. Fergus Warr, 22. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23. Jack Metcalf.
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referee: Peter Martin (Ireland) and Paul Haycock (Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
