Leeds Carnegie slipped to a 39-13 defeat at Bristol on Sunday after the home side produced a ruthless second half to take all five points on offer.
USA international Mike MacDonald returned to the starting line up for Leeds Carnegie after returning from the World Cup in France whilst Rob Rawlinson replaced Vili Ma'asi at hooker and Leigh Hinton was replaced by Richard Welding on the wing.
The visitors were hit by an early blow when Bristol made the most of being handed possession inside the Leeds 22 from a free kick. After moving the ball through several phases, Jason Strange burst threw the Leeds defensive line and passed the ball back inside to the supporting Neil Brew to score. Strange added the conversion to make it 7-0 after just three minutes.
Leeds responded in fine fashion and spent the majority of the next 15 minutes inside the Bristol half. Jonny Hepworth and Erik Lund both made good breaks but Leeds only had an Alberto Di Bernardo penalty to show for their efforts.
The home side then had their best spell and asked plenty of questions of the Leeds defence. However, this time Leeds held firm but were punished by referee Martin Fox for offside, allowing Strange to extend the lead to 10-3 after 21 minutes.
Leeds had three further set backs after 25 minutes. They lost winger Richard Welding and scrum half Joe Bedford, after both picked up injuries within 30 seconds of each other and then Di Bernardo missed a chance from 42 metres out with a penalty.
That miss was compounded on 32 minutes when Strange once again converted a penalty chance from in front of the posts after Rob Rawlinson was penalised.
Leeds, to their credit, continued to play some explansive rugby with replacement James Brooks fitting in well at scrum half however errors were costing them the chance to really threaten the Bristol lead. That was demonstrated in the last moments of the half when Di Bernardo missed a further two more penalty chances, the latter from straight in front after former Leeds man Matt Salter was penalised for a late hit on the Argentinean, leaving Leeds trailing by ten at the break.
Leeds started the second half brightly and did eventually cut Bristol's lead after 44 minutes when Di Bernardo kicked a 45 metre drop goal. But once again, Leeds failed to make the most of their momentum and were reduced to 14 men after 51 minutes when Stuart Hooper was sin binned for pulling down a Bristol maul close to his own line.
Bristol kicked to touch before inevitably rumbling over the line through Andrew Blowers.
Eight minutes later they sealed the win with a Neil Brew's second try of the game after some poor one on one defending by the visitors allowed Bristol to break through.
Strange converted both to become Bristol's all time record points scorer but he could not convert David Lemi's try which secured the bonus point for Richard Hill's side.
The chance came after replacement Andy Tuilagi knocked on in midfield and Bristol were at their clinical best, breaking down the touchline before Lemi finished the move off.
That made the score 32-6 after 64 minutes but there was a brief respite for Leeds when Tom Biggs showed great wingers play to intercept 60 metres out before racing down field and away from the unrushing defence to score between the posts. Di Bernardo converted to make it 32-13 with ten minutes remaining.
However, the home side had the last word when Lemi went in for his second try, Blowers passing to Lemi with a four man overlap outwide. David Hill added the conversion after Strange had gone off to make the final score 39-13.
Bristol: Hill, Arscott, Brew, Higgit, Lemi, Strange, O'Riordan, Crompton, Blaney, Hobson, Winters, Hohneck, Salter, To'oala, Ward-Smith
Replacements: Linklater, Hilton for Crompton (59), Budgett for Winters (59), Blowers for Ward-Smith (47), Thomas, Cox, Robinson for Strange (71)
Leeds Carnegie: Goodridge, Welding, Hepworth, Blackett, Biggs, Di Bernardo, Bedford, MacDonald, Rawlinson, Pala'amo, Hooper, Lund, Oakley, Clark, Lock
Replacements: Cusack for Pala'amo (65), Va'ali for Rawlinson (61), McGee for MacDonald (59), Myall for Lock (52), Brooks for Bedford (26), Tuilagi for Blackett (45), Hinton for Welding (26)
Ref: Martin Fox
Attendance: 6,439