Paul Johnstone trundled in from the most fitting of distances to end Bristol's two-decade wait to beat Bath here. The Zimbabwean hooker was waved through unopposed in the 74th minute on his charge from 21 metres - one for every year since Bristol's last win at the Rec in October 1981.
Johnstone scored a 45-metre breakaway try at Twickenham in last May's Zurich Championship final against Gloucester and Bristol's director of rugby Peter Thorburn said: "He's got a fair bit of gas for a fat fella!"
The former All Black selector was not oblivious to the historical significance of the win, even more remarkable given that Bristol lost their captain Garath Archer to the sin-bin for fighting.
"Some old guy hopped over the fence, his face was beaming and he was elated - that is what makes this worthwhile," said Thorburn.
In mitigation, Bath, who fielded Danny Grewcock the day after he appeared for England, might point to the absence of an international-class back division - Mike Catt, Matt Perry, Mike Tindall, Iain Balshaw, Kevin Maggs and Gareth Cooper -but Bristol were without their Argentin ian half-backs Agustin Pichot and Felipe Contepomi, as well as the banned England prop Julian White.
"We were our own worst enemies with the errors we made," said Bath's head coach Michael Foley. "But I'm quite philosophical and pleased that the young back line we had out battled right to the end. Last year they would have been rolled over. We have won two out of three games while the autumn internationals have been on."
Foley's optimism about his young guns was matched by Thorburn, who believes that Andrew Higgins can follow Phil Christophers into an England shirt. Clive Woodward is hardly blessed with outside centres beyond Will Greenwood and Ben Johnston and the Bristol No13, at 21, is young, talented and physical enough to be in the frame for next October's World Cup.
His seventh-minute score was reminiscent of another player who once graced the Rec, Bath's Jeremy Guscott. Shane Drahm was the provider on the 10-metre line and Higgins slipped through the narrowest of gaps, side-stepped Rob Thirlby's poor attempted tackle and raced to the line with Simon Danielli clinging to his back.
This was no oil-painting of a match but West Country derbies rarely are.
Bristol led 17-6 at half-time, thanks to Higgins' try and an injury-time effort from Lee Best. Chris Malone kept Bath in the hunt with his third penalty just after the restart and when referee Dave Pearson awarded them a penalty try in the 55th minute for Archer's boxing antics they were back within a point.
But then came Johnstone's cameo and Drahm's conversion, followed by a final penalty, to set the Shoguns singing again.
To add to Bath's woes, Dan Lyle will be out of action for at least three weeks after damaging his shoulder.
Bath: Thirlby; Danielli, Crockett, Davey, Voyce; Malone, Williams (Blake, 64); Barnes, Humphreys (capt, Mears 76), Mallett (Galasso, 74), Borthwick, Lyle (Grewcock, 20), Scaysbrook, Beattie, Thomas.
Try: Penalty try. Pens: Malone 4. Con: Malone.
Bristol: Best; Rees, Higgins, Gibson, Daniel; Drahm, Richards; Bergamaschi, Johnstone, Crompton, Archer (capt), Brown, Salter (Sturnham, 65), Short, Oakley.
Tries: Higgins, Best, Johnstone. Pens: Drahm 3. Cons: Drahm 3.
Sin-bin: Archer 55.
Referee: D Pearson (Ashington). Att: 8,200.
