Leeds Carnegie had to settle for a draw at the Memorial Ground in their final EDF Energy Cup game but they showed tremendous spirit throughout.
With qualification for the knock out stages already beyond both these teams, the respective Director's of Rugby decided to give a number of their fringe players a chance to impress. However, if anyone thought they were going to be presented with a stage on which to shine those thoughts were quickly dismissed by the torrential rain and accompanying howling gale which descended on the Memorial Ground as the game kicked off.
It was Leeds who were faced with the unenviable task of playing into the monsoon conditions and inevitably it meant they spent much of the first half working tirelessly to move the ball up field with little reward.
It was a credit to both sides that there were few knock ons but that meant that the ball was rarely seen outside of either pack and on the occasions when either side showed ambition it ended with a  kick to the corner to test the wingers under a swirling high ball.
For Leeds, young winger Scott Armstrong showed good composure under intense pressure. He was making his first appearance in the starting line up and considering he combines his training with studying for a degree at Leeds Met, he did not look out of place. On the other wing, Apo Satala continued his constant progression and he provided the visitors best chance in the first half when he powered through three would be tacklers but was unable to get the ball back to the supporting run of Jon Dunbar and was bundled into touch.
The home side got the only score of the first half when hooker David Blaney blundered his way through some weak defence by Leeds ten metres from their own line before forcing the ball down after 22 minutes. Jason Strange converted the try to make it 7-0.
Leeds showed plenty of spirit after that set back and worked the ball well between the forwards only for the move to break down as they came within striking distance.
James Brooks did get Leeds on the scoreboard with a penalty after 30 minutes when Bristol had second row Dave Attwood for persistent infringements in the ruck.
Brooks had a chance to bring the visitors to within a point six minutes later but pushed an attempted from closer in wide.
Leeds paid the price for that miss when Strange kicked his first penalty on the stroke of half time to make it 10-3 to the hosts at the interval.
Leeds came out fired up from the re-start and almost immediately cut the home sides lead. Brooks this time was successful after Bristol were penalised for offside.
Then just six minutes into the half, Lancaster's side took the lead for the first time.
Bristol put themselves under pressure with a poor clearance and with their tales up, Leeds sniffed their chance. There were several drives from the forward pack for the line before the giant frame of Lund stretched for the line to score. Brooks added the conversion to make it 13-10.
Bristol showed their intent to win the game when they elected to go for touch from a couple of kickable penalties however, having been repelled by the Leeds defence on both occasions Strange levelled the score after 67 minutes.
Leeds had the majority of possession in the final quarter of the game and then had a fantastic chance in injury time when they had the put in to a scrum five metres out from the Bristol line. However, the home side pack used all their experience to good effect and disrupted and harassed the Leeds scrum enough to force an error to clear their lines.
That was enough to see off the challenge from the visitors and in truth both teams would have been happy with their  two points in the terrible conditions.
Bristol: Arscott, Robinson, Cox, Maggs (Eves, 76), Morgan (Barnes, 71), Strange, O'Riordan (Beveridge, 75), Hogan (Hilton, 60), Blaney (Linklater, 76), Crompton, Attwood, Llewellyn, Salter, R Pennycook (C Pennycook, 60), Phillips.
Replacement not used: Brown
Leeds Carnegie: Goodridge, Armstrong, Hepworth, Blackett (Holtby, 64), Satala, Brooks (Vickerman, 71), Bedford (Edwards, 72), Pala'amo (MacDonald, 54), Nilsen (Ma'asi, 64), Hopcroft (Cusack, 68), Lund, Bouza, Dunbar (Boyde, 57), Schusterman, Oakley
Referee: Ashley Rowden
Attendances: 5,751