A very special afternoon at Welford Road was enjoyed by a travelling Bristol side earlier today, as the boys in white returned from 19 points down to win 19 - 21 against a Leicester side who took their feet well and truly off the gas.
Three tries and a Mike Brown red card in the final ten minutes made all the difference in a match that for 70 minutes looked like it was in the bag for the home side - particularly after Ollie Hassell-Collins went over for his second try of the day with a simple finish in the corner.
It appeared at this stage that Bristol simply weren't at the races, and when substitute Francois van Wyk bundled over for their third, it felt like a bonus point victory was the only other realistic ending.
The introduction of Max Lahiff from the bench will now forever indicate the gold standard of substitutes after the prop forward jotted down two tries for his team, ensuring the start of a wonderful comeback.
It was the close-range efforts of impressive number 8, Magnus Bradbury that would mark the conclusion of the match, however, finishing a terrific team try to send Leicester's playoff hopes up in smoke.
This win keeps Bristol firmly in contention of a playoff place with just two matches remaining. They currently sit in fourth place, with Saracens lining up as their next challenge, before heading to the Stoop to face fifth-place Harlequins in their final battle of the league season.
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