Exeter shoot down the Bears to narrow gap at the top
JUST IN case anyone was tempted to think it, this season’s Premiership won’t be a procession for Bristol.
The Bears might have begun this match 12 points clear of Exeter at the summit of the league, but the Chiefs smothered Bristol’s attacking enterprise with a display founded on relentless competitiveness over the ball.
Rob Baxter remarked afterwards that he felt his side had “tied our whole game together beautifully”, and there was indeed beauty to be found amid the Chiefs’ targeted aggression.
Bristol, for their part, usually paint pictures of sporting beauty courtesy of their back line’s artistry, but – with the exception of two slick tries at either end of the match – their palette was trashed by a ruthless Exeter defence.
Bears captain Steven Luatua conceded that his side’s trademark all-court game had been superbly contained by the reigning champions.
“We back ourselves to run it and score from anywhere, but sometimes we just need to take our medicine and play it in the right areas of the field,” he said.
“That’s something we as leaders need to do – make better decisions out there and not put the pressure on the backs to make those calls.
“Every time we made a decision to get it wide to make some yards they either won the ball or slowed it down. It’s something we’ll have to address in the coming weeks.
“Exeter showed why they are the defending champs and deserved to win.”
Sam Simmonds and Henry Slade were among the Exeter players who didn’t do their Lions hopes any harm in front of the watching Warren Gatland. Simmonds was typically dynamic until walking off gingerly on the hour mark.
“Sam would add to any team, he is absolute qualiand
ty,” said Exeter head coach Ali Hepher. “The pace of him – but also I thought his dirty work was good. He made three tackles on the bounce at one point. And he can make breaks for you, it’s like having an eighth back, and that pace is key for us.”
But while much of the focus is understandably on Simmonds, the whole Exeter pack played with a controlled collective venom. Flanker Jacques Vermeulen in particular was a rampaging nightmare for the Bears.
Bristol weren’t helped by key players including Ben Earl, Callum Sheedy
Semi Radradra being injured, and deployed Max Malins at fly-half rather than full-back. Malins defended admirably – he made 21 tackles – but with Exeter in this mood it was not a night to be attempting positional experiments.
Both sides showed an early desire to run the ball out of their own half, and Andy Uren finished off superb interplay down the left flank to open the scoring for Bristol.
But tries by Sam Skinner and Tom O’Flaherty gave Exeter a deserved lead at the break. Chiefs played with such precision that they did not
concede a single penalty in the opening half.
The visitors maintained their focus after the break and when Charles Piutau dropped the ball under little threat on a first-phase attack it summed up the pressure Exeter were exerting.
In contrast to Bristol, Exeter hung onto the ball patiently and extended their lead to 15 points when Vermeulen muscled over.
Luke Morahan grabbed a late consolation, but Bristol were well beaten and will need a strategic rethink should the sides meet in the play-offs.