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Bristol Bears' hopes of progressing in the Investec Champions Cup suffered a huge blow as they lost to South African side Bulls at Ashton Gate.

Kieran Marmion scored for the Bears but they trailed 10-7 at half-time.

Bulls dominated the second half after Bristol prop Max Lahiff was sent to the sin-bin and the Bears, without any further front-row options, were briefly reduced to 13 and uncontested scrums.

Bulls took a bonus point before Gabriel Ibitoye and Magnus Bradbury scored.

The Bulls, who left four World Cup-winning Springboks at home to rest, overpowered a Bristol side missing England props Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler through injury.

Front-row stand-ins Sam Grahamslaw and George Kloska struggled in the scrum and were replaced by Jake Woolmore and Lahiff nine minutes before half-time.

Lahiff's sin-binning meant uncontested scrums with Bristol being unable to field a complete front row.

Under World Rugby laws, the Premiership side had to lose another player - winger Ibitoye - as a result and played with 13 men for the duration of Lahiff's time in the bin.

The Bulls stretched their lead to 17-7 and Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said that "it was a huge turning point".

"We weren't getting the rub of the green in the scrums, so we had to change the front row," said Lam.

"The boys defended well with 13, but it takes a lot out of you. The scrum is a big part of the game, and fair play to the Bulls."

The defeat leaves Bristol hoping Bordeaux Begles beat Saracens on Sunday before the Bears travel to face Pool 1 stragglers Connacht in a must-win final group game on Friday.

But even a bonus-point victory might not be enough to reach the last 16 if other results, notably Saracens' home match against pool leaders Lyon next Saturday, go against them.

Bulls on top from the start

The visitors controlled the match from the beginning, taking the lead through Johan Goosen's penalty.

Soon after, wing Sergeal Petersen raced over the line for a try converted by David Kriel, despite the Bulls being down to 14 after fly-half Goosen was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on.

Bristol responded quickly with Marmion's try, created by AJ MacGinty cleverly delaying his pass and James Williams making the break to create space for the number nine to run over unopposed.

Bulls thought they had scored again on the stroke of half-time but Williams excelled himself by stripping the ball from Reinhardt Ludwig as the lock dived over the line.

The Bulls stepped up a level in the second half, with prop Khutha Mchunu rumbling over the line after a superb team move while Lahiff and Ibitoye were off the pitch.

Flanker Elrigh Louw powered his way past three Bristol defenders and stretched an arm over to score in the corner and hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels intercepted Bristol captain Steven Luatua's pass and sprinted 50m to secure the fourth.

Louw was sent to the sin-bin as Bristol rallied in the final 10 minutes. Ibitoye touched down in the corner after some slick passing and number eight Bradbury ran over from a ruck to score moments before the final whistle.

Line-ups

Bristol: Malins; Heward, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Marmion; Grahamslaw, Oghre, Kloska, Caulfield, Batley, Luatua (capt), Thomas, Bradbury.

Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Lahiff, Owen, Heenan, Randall, Vakatawa, Lane.

Sin-bin: Lahiff (44 mins)

Bulls: Williams; De Klerk, Kriel, Vorster, Petersen; Goosen, Papier; Steenekamp, Wessels, Louw, Vermaak, Ludwig, Coetzee (capt), Louw, Gumede.

Replacements: Lange, Matanzima, Mchunu, Nortje, Slabbert, Johannes, Smith, Immelman.

Sin-bin: Goosen (10 mins)

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)