Before this thrilling, topsy-turvy fixture, Michael Cheika challenged his players to plant their flag in the Ashton Gate turf. This was no metaphor; in the changing rooms, the Leicester head coach brandished a literal Tigers flag pre-match in a bid to rally his troops in what was in essence a must-win fixture against second-placed Bristol in the race to the top four.
“It wasn’t the flag that worked – it was the players!” Cheika joked afterwards. “Mate, I’ll be honest, that’s for inside the dressing room. It’s nothing fancy. Symbols are important sometimes – if they’re made in a certain way.