Full-time: Bristol 46 Coventry 28

Bristol 46 Coventry 28: Tom Arscott scored a first-half hat-trick as Bristol got back to winning ways with a stunning eight-try show at the Memorial Stadium.

The winger scored three times in the opening 31 minutes as Paul Hull's side bounced back from their Doncaster misery with a fine display of attacking rugby in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

The head coach will still have plenty of areas to work on when his players return to training on Monday – notably the three tries they conceded and a brief lull midway through the second period.

But the way his side scythed through the Coventry defence to score eight tries – five of them before the break – sent out a reminder to the rest of the Championship that Bristol mean business.

Dan Norton, Jason Spice, James Phillips, Luke Eves and Jack Adams also crossed as Bristol created countless scoring opportunities in an action-packed contest.

Bristol opened the scoring in the fifth minute when they kicked a penalty to touch and drove the resulting line-out. With Coventry's defensive efforts focused on the maul, Spice spotted Arscott in space out wide and played in the winger for a simple try.

After Adrian Jarvis had missed the conversion attempt, Joe Carlisle reduced Bristol's lead to two points with a penalty – but Arscott doubled his personal tally on 14 minutes.

Norton did much of the damage, making a piercing break through the Coventry defence, before Adams found Arscott, who scored on the right wing.

Jarvis again failed to convert – and again Coventry hit back with a Carlisle penalty, making the score 10-6.

Further Bristol dominance brought them a five-metre scrum – but losing possession at the set-piece, and then failing to secure line-out ball when Coventry cleared to touch, bizarrely turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Bristol won turnover ball on halfway and launched a stunning counter-attack, with Jarvis, Phillips and Roy Winters eventually combining to set up Norton for his eighth league try of the season.

The hosts were now sensing blood – and, two minutes after Norton's try, they secured their bonus point when Arscott completed his hat-trick in stunning style.

Junior Fatialofa and Adams were involved in a sweeping move, before Arscott chipped over Ben Russell's head and beat him in the foot-race to complete a 31-minute hat-trick.

This time Jarvis found the middle of the posts and Bristol led 22-6.

The home side continued to play with confidence – but they suffered a brief setback when Carlisle scored a sublime solo try for the visitors.

The on-loan Worcester fly-half raced through the home defence from just inside the Bristol half, without a home defender so much as getting a hand on him. His chip over the last man and cool finish befitted such a daring try.

Bristol carried on as though nothing had happened, replying almost instantly through their captain following another well-worked line-out. Norton kept the ball alive on the wing with a wonderful piece of improvised juggling – and Spice was the grateful recipient.

Bristol's half-time lead of 27-13 – five tries to one – was a fair reflection of their first-half dominance.

And with Carlisle failing to emerge for the second half, seemingly after injuring himself in the act of scoring his try, the odds were stacked heavily in Bristol's favour.

Yet within the opening 11 minutes of the second period, Coventry were right back in the game at 27-21.

First, hooker Joe Marrigan burrowed over from close range, before Russell – who had converted Carlisle's try – added a penalty.

Given Bristol's recent habit of failing to maintain the pressure for entire 80-minute stretches, the nerves understandably began to jangle among the home supporters at the Memorial Stadium.

But flanker-turned-lock Phillips, quite perversely for a man who likes to wreak so much havoc with his bustling style of play, did his bit to restore calm with 55 minutes played. Dan Montagu sent Norton away down the left, but when his route to the line was cordoned off, the forwards took over and the hard-working Phillips supplied the final touch.

Jarvis again failed from the tee, taking his tally of spurned points to 10 on the night – but Bristol at least had the breathing space of an 11-point lead at 32-21.

Eves killed off any lingering nerves in the 77th minute when he went over under the posts for his side's seventh try of the evening.

Bristol again went to touch with a penalty and forced Coventry back, before Spice and Jarvis put replacement Eves in with the chance to score from close range.

Adams took Bristol beyond the 40-point mark when he capitalised on a gift from Coventry full-back Russell – after Mark Irish's kick had put the visitors on the back foot – in the final minute.

There was still time for Coventry to score a third try – through prop Scott Roberts – but Bristol's victory was convincing.

Bristol: L Arscott; T Arscott, J Adams, J Fatialofa (L Eves 41), D Norton; A Jarvis (C Ashwin 80), J Spice (capt; R Shaw 78); A Clarke (M Irish 52 (D Crompton 62-72)), D Blaney (O Hayes 80), W Thompson (D Crompton 72), J Phillips (D Barry 78), R Winters, I Grieve, J Merriman, D Montagu.

Scorers: Tries – T Arscott (3), Norton, Spice, Phillips, Eves, Adams. Cons – Jarvis (3).

Coventry: B Russell; S Frewin (J Lewis 79), P McKenzie (J Lewis 61-76), F Apikotoa, R Plantey; J Carlisle (C Lewis 41), N Jones (M Walls 65); S Roberts, J Marrigan (R McMillan 66), J Hall (R Dugard 66), A Brenton (B Dechartres 57), S Herrington, J Miller (capt), R Bignell, A Carpenter (H Venter 41).

Scorers: Tries – Carlisle, Bignell, Roberts. Cons – Russell (2). Pens – Carlisle (2), Russell.

Referee: L ap Geraint Roberts.

Att: 4,839.