Transferring a regular-season home game onto a grander stage is a difficult trick to get right.
Harlequins, with Twickenham's Allianz Stadium just over the road, have managed to make their Christmas fixture an annual tradition. Saracens make use of north London neighbours Tottenham's home ground for their derby against Quins. Northampton have staged some European ties half an hour up the road at 30,000-seater Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.
But most clubs are already the biggest show in their local area.
Bristol's plan to host a game at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, which has 47,000 more seats, but is an hour away from Ashton Gate, was bold and took some negotiating with the Welsh Rugby Union.
But it paid off.
With 51,095 tickets sold, the Bears gave value for money by beating Bath, with a win which featured six tries, a superb performance from centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and a trademark Viliame Mata big hit., external
Bristol's chief operating officer Tom Tainton told Planet Rugby afterwards that there is an aspiration to follow rugby league's lead and take a game to the United States in future., external
Going from crossing the Severn to crossing the Atlantic is ambitious, but so was this first foray into Wales.
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