Bristol Bears have discovered the antidote to rugby’s kicking ‘lottery’

Daniel Schofield Wed, 25 March 2026 at 10:54 am UTC·5 min read Rugby is the ultimate trendsetter sport. No sooner than one club finds a loophole to exploit, teams in other countries or even continents will be aping that innovation the following week. So it will be interesting to monitor the butterfly effects coming from Leicester Tigers’ 33-19 defeat of Bristol Bears at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Sunday. The game was notable not just for the thrilling climax provided by Gabriel Hamer-Webb’s try but for the tactical tweaks Bristol made when receiving contestable kicks.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ever since World Rugby tweaked its laws to crack down on “escort” runners who...