Bristol 24 Rotherham Titans 26: Socino holds his nerve as Titans stun hosts Bristol

CAPTAIN Joe Bedford hailed an "amazing" victory for battling Rotherham as they opened their new Championship campaign with a dramatic and controversial last-minute win at last season's runners-up Bristol.

"Our boys dug in and to get that try was amazing," said Bedford. "You saw the boys' faces at the end of the game – it was as if they had won the World Cup final. All the talk in pre-season has been about Bristol and Worcester – now we've beaten Bristol on the road."

Rotherham fell 10-0 down inside the opening six minutes after Nicky Little hit a penalty before converting his own try.

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The visitors quickly cut the lead through a Juan Pablo Socino penalty, before James Sandford added a try. Socino's conversion levelled the match at 10-10, before a Little penalty and a James Merriman try made it 18-10 to the hosts.

Rotherham's players barely spent five minutes in their dressing room at the break, eager instead to get back out on the field. Their determination was justified when Socino made it 18-13 following an offside call.

Two further Little penalties, to one from Socino, increased Bristol's advantage to 24-16, only for the Argentine to give his side increased hope with a 40-metre penalty in the 75th minute.

Chaos and confusion reigned in the closing minutes, after Bristol – with Mariano Sambucetti in the sin-bin – lost prop Mark Irish to injury. Uncontested scrums were called for, so Bristol had to withdraw another player under the laws of the game, leaving them with just 12.

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Rotherham took advantage, launching an attack from the the uncontested set-piece, with Sam Dickinson burrowing his way to the line. His score allowed Socino to kick the winning points.

Bristol: J Tovey; S Marsden, J Adams, E Barnes (J Gadd 80), D Norton; N Little, S Alford (R Bolt 46); M Irish (M Vunipola 46), O Hayes (D Blaney 60), W Thompson (M Irish 70), B Glynn (M Sambucetti 70), R Winters (capt), D Barry, J Merriman, D Montagu (J Miller 41). Replacement not used: A Jarvis.

Rotherham Titans: R Welding; P Swatkins, J Hepworth, J P Socino, B Hunt (M Rhodes 12); C Hodgson (H Paul 46), J Bedford (capt); N Steenkamp (A O'Donnell 66), A Loney, R O'Donnell (C Quigley 60), B Harris (S Dickinson 60), J Sandford, R Burrows, D Baines, A Kettle. Replacements not used: D McGregor, N Buckley.

Referee: R Kitt. Att: 4,064.

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