A young Gloucester-Hartpury side put in a spirited performance in the Allianz Cup third-place play-off on Sunday, but West Country rivals Bristol Bears were too strong, claiming a 23-34 win at the Alpas Arena.

Gloucester-Hartpury are missing a number of key figures due to international commitments and injury, but there was some strong performances from the Cherry & Whites despite the defeat.

Kiwi, Lizzie Goulden, opened the scoring for the home side after eleven minutes.

Bristol got their first points on the board in the 24th minute with a converted try of their own, but Sean Lynn's side responded with a try through skipper Rachel Lund on the half-hour mark.

The Bears came back yet again with a second score, giving them a slim 10-12 lead at the break.

It looked as if the Cherry & Whites were taking hold of the game after the break, with two tries from Ellie Underwood and Sophie Bridger.

But Bristol scored three unanswered tries of their own to retake the lead going into the final quarter.

A Goulden penalty in the closing stages wasn't enough to close the gap, as a fifth Bristol try put the Bears out of sight and secured the visitors' third place in the competition.

Gloucester-Hartpury have a week off before returning to action next weekend away at Loughborough Lightning in the Allianz Premier 15s.

A win in Loughborough could secure Lynn's side a home semi-final in the competition, with the final in June also being hosted at Kingsholm. You can purchase tickets for that fixture, and Gloucester-Hartpury's Kingsholm clash with Quins later this month here.

Gloucester-Hartpury will be boosted by the return of their international stars, some of whom were involved in the Red Roses' historic Grand Slam victory over France at Twickenham on Saturday.

Gloucester-Hartpury end Allianz Cup campaign in fourth place

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