Harry Thacker returned to Welford Road to haunt Leicester and plunge his old club back into the relegation mire.
The pocket rocket hooker left Tigers last summer in search of regular rugby and his former employers have regretted it ever since.
A player considered only third choice at Leicester handed them a two-try reminder of his ability when Bristol destroyed England’s biggest club at Ashton Gate in December.
And yesterday, just as 20,000 Tigers fans dared to believe their misfiring team was finally scrambling to safety, he broke their hearts again with the late winner.
“It is sod’s law,” said Leicester boss Geordan Murphy. “Anyone who leaves the club, it is always disappointing to see them come back and scoring against you.”
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Tigers were six minutes from securing Premiership survival when the 5’9 forward threw accurately into a lineout, latched onto the maul and was driven over to put his side ahead for the first time.
“Harry is an immense player and he has been brilliant for Bristol all year,” Murphy conceded. “We knew the threats that he would pose to us and talked about it in the week.
“But the maul was really well executed and Harry just got underneath and deserved the try.”
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Thacker’s try condemned Leicester to a third successive league defeat at a ground which rugby folk the world over used to consider a fortress.
Rather than Tigers breathing a sigh of relief that the worst season in their history will at least not end in humiliation, they are again confronted by the possibility that it might.
For that they would have to lose at Harlequins on Friday and again at home to Bath in their final game, whilst bottom club Newcastle make up the nine-point deficit with maximum point wins at Gloucester and at home to Bristol.
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Worcester, sandwiched between those two clubs, will ensure their survival if they beat Gloucester at Sixways today.
How Leicester come to even be back in the relegation conversation will frustrate them beyond measure.
They led 17-11 with an hour gone and a strong wind at their backs. But Matt Toomua’s sin-binning opened the door to Bristol and Pat Lam’s men needed no second invitation.
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The West Country side, in their first year back in the top flight, had won only once away in the league all season - and never at Leicester in the Premiership.
Callum Sheedy made them believe with a stunning solo try, Dan Thomas then weighed in with a second before Thacker delivered the decisive act.
“Harry’s a special hooker,” said Lam, likening him to All Blacks Dane Coles and Codie Taylor. “There’s not many like him. He’s good enough to go further.
“When I first saw him play I thought ‘I like this guy’, so I tracked him and saw he wasn’t getting much game time.
“I’m a big believer that if you’re good enough you’re big enough. Harry scored two the last time we played Leicester and now this.
“But he would be the first to say it’s not about proving a point it’s about doing what’s best for the team.”
LEICESTER - Try: Olowofela. Pens: Ford 5.
BRISTOL - Tries: Sheedy, Thomas, Thacker. Con: Madigan. Pens: Sheedy 2.
