Exeter kids give Bears a battle all the way
THE vastly more experienced Bristol side finally ground down a next generation Exeter team but the pace and enthusiasm of the young Chiefs gave them all the trouble they could handle for more than an hour before they finally grasped the initiative.
The Bears line-up had an international backbone with Australian full-back Luke Morahan, Wales’ Ioan Lloyd at fly-half, former England lock Dave Attwood skippering the side and Nathan Hughes – returning from injury – at No.8.
By contrast, centre Ian Whitten was the only player with regular topflight experience for the Chiefs but his young teammates took the game to Bristol with their pacy back division stretching the Bears’ at every opportunity.
Exeter coach Ricky Pellow said: “They can be proud, that was all we could ask of them.
“You could see how the crowd was getting behind them and it was an Exeter Chiefs performance of old from these young guys.
“We tried to keep it simple with speed of ball and, with the energy they put into the game, they showed what we want to be as a club. As a defence we scrambled really well and turned their errors into points which was really pleasing.”
Bristol assistant coach Colin McPhillips, also impressed with Exeter’s “youthful enthusiasm”, praised his Bears for the way they forced victory.
“We finished the first half strong and looked better in the second,” he said. “The two replacement props gave us a dominant finish which was important because if you apply pressure you get possession and force penalties. Our six guys on debut did well.”
Exeter set out their stall from the moment Dan John left Morahan floundering down the touchline and Exeter maintained the pressure to force prop James Kenny over after only four minutes.
Just as Bristol were finding a foothold – after Harry Thacker, Jake Armstrong and Attwood combined down the left – the good work was undone as Whitten sniped an interception just inside their half.
He released centre partner Sean O’Brien on a 40-metre charge through the middle and the summer signing from Connacht
slipped the ball to flyhalf Jack Walsh who crossed.
Whitten almost fashioned another try when his kick forced Lloyd, with John in pursuit, to step into touch, a decision explained when he stayed down with a leg injury which saw him replaced by Sam Bedlow.
The Bears weathered the storm and responded with 14 points in the final five minutes of the first half to draw level. Exeter paid a double price as Bristol’s long-range lineout drive resulted in a penalty try
and Kenny’s yellow card for hauling down the maul.
Two minutes later Dan Thomas released Bedlow who crossed before adding the equalising conversion.
Exeter began the second half as quickly as they had the first and Bristol flanker Dan Thomas was sinbinned for killing the ball at the breakdown, with Hodge landing the penalty to restore Exeter’s lead.
Another moment of Bristol sloppiness and a second Exeter interception saw Walsh show a clean pair of heels on a 65-metre race to grab the third
Chiefs try. But a series of penalties resulted in a catch-and-drive try for Bristol replacement hooker Will Capon before the returning Thomas ran in their fourth with Bedlow’s conversion finally putting them ahead.
Exeter’s penalty count proved costly when another catch and drive provided Bristol replacement lock McKenzie Duncan with a debut try.
But Hodge landed a lastkick penalty to secure a losing bonus point – the least Exeter deserved for their youthful enterprise.