Half-time: Bristol 14 Leicester 7: Bristol took a shock lead into the break against Leicester following tries from Luke Arscott and David Lemi, writes Steve Cotton.

Bristol, 12 points adrift at the bottom of the Guinness Premiership, came back after falling 7-0 behind at the Memorial Stadium.

Ed Barnes missed a 40-metre penalty for Bristol shortly before Leicester took the lead through a Dan Cole try.

Leicester kept the ball well in the Bristol 22, before prop Cole popped out of a ruck 10 metres from the line, evaded Joe El Abd and ran in to score.

Julien Dupuy converted for a 7-0 lead before he became the second Leicester player to hobble off, following the earlier departure of Matt Smith.

Bristol's response to falling behind was positive, and they soon levelled after Arscott's excellent try.

He gathered Alesana Tuilagi's kick, ran it back at the Leicester defence and switched play to Robert Sidoli. When the lock was tackled a few yards short, Arscott arrived in support to go over.

Barnes converted to level, before Tuilagi wasted two good scoring opportunities for the visitors.

First he tossed the ball straight to Nathan Brew with men available outside him, then he overran Dupuy following the scrum-half's powerful break.

Dupuy was injured during the break and left the field, and it was not long before Leicester shipped a second try.

Bristol threw to the back of a line-out, Shaun Perry gathered and broke, before the ball was passed through the hands of Barnes, Neil Brew, Nathan Brew and finally Lemi, who raced in from 20 metres to score.

Barnes converted to see the hosts into a 14-7 half-time lead.

Bristol: L Arscott; T Arscott, Nathan Brew, Neil Brew, D Lemi; E Barnes, S Perry; A Clarke, M Regan, D Crompton, R Winters, R Sidoli, A To'oala, J El Abd (capt), D Ward-Smith. Reps: O Hayes, W Thompson, M Irish, M Sambucetti, R Pennycook, H Thomas, C Ashwin.

Scorers: Tries – L Arscott, Lemi. Cons – Barnes (2).

Leicester: S Hamilton; M Smith (T Varndell 14), D Hipkiss, A Mauger (capt), A Tuilagi; S Vesty, J Dupuy (B Youngs 25); M Ayerza, M Davies, D Cole, L Deacon, B Kay, M Wentzel (B Herring 40), B Woods, B Pienaar. Reps: G Chuter, S Bonorino, D Hemingway, D Hougaard.

Scorers: Try – Cole. Con – Dupuy.