By Jon Page
An Exeter implosion following Dan Frost’s yellow card led to them conceding 28 points in the final 15 minutes, featuring a sensational try from hooker Gabriel Oghre and a hat trick from man of the match Ibitoye. Today’s loss means Exeter are on their worst streak of Premiership losses since 2014.
AJ MacGinty kicked off to Exeter at Sandy Park in good conditions and they were able to exit their half cleanly. Following some back and forth between the two sides in the middle third of the field, the Chiefs’ Italian back-row Ross Vintcent broke the line and offloaded to former Wallaby Scott Sio, who thundered towards the line before being tackled five metres out. However, during the ensuing ruck, Benhard Janse van Rensburg turned the ball over and Bristol could clear their lines. The Bears did not have much time to take their breath though, after Josh Hodge kicked over three points for Exeter following a Bristol ruck infringement.
Just two minutes later, Bristol captain Fitz Harding put Joe Batley into space on the left wing, before the giant second-row drew the last man and put Kieran Marmion in for a try. Although the conversion sailed wide, the Bears were ahead by two points.
This did not faze Exeter, who strung together some electric phases of play, which were only disrupted by Josh Caulfield straying offside and earning himself a yellow card with 15 minutes played. Despite the Bears defending the lineout drive from the initial penalty well, a scrum on the right wing led to a try on the left wing for Brown-Bampoe, due to the overlap caused by Bristol placing a back into the scrum to make up for Caulfield’s absence. Hodge was unable to convert the try.
There were no further scores for the duration of the yellow card, with Exeter’s Brown-Bampoe everywhere in attack, supported by the brutally effective Jacques Vermeulen carrying hard into heavy traffic. Once Caulfield returned Bristol upped the ante and his second-row colleague Batley was able to score in the corner, now with a try and an assist to his name already, with the lead increasing to four points after MacGinty’s conversion.
Out of nowhere England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso picked from the base of a ruck to race away for a try from 30 metres out, earning Exeter the lead before Hodge’s conversion with the clock in the red signified the end of the half with the score reading 15-12 to the hosts.
Exeter chased the restart for the second half hard and earned themselves a penalty after sustained pressure in the Bristol half, which Hodge duly slotted. The next 10 minutes were an arm wrestle between the two sides, with Brown-Bampoe and Batley both making big attacking contributions. The match burst into life after Exeter debutant and Argentina lock gave a crisp pass to Brown-Bampoe to race in for his second try of the game, again converted by Hodge. Not to be upstaged by his young teammate, Feyi-Waboso collected an interception to race in for his second try, with Hodge adding the extras.
With the scoreboard reading 32-12 to Exeter with just 18 minutes left, anyone would be forgiven for believing that the match was over for Bristol. A yellow card for replacement Exeter hooker Dan Frost seemed to inspire something in his opposite man Oghre, who is fresh from the disappointment of non-selection in the most recent England training squad. He ran a line most inside-centres dream and fending Chiefs for fun to run in a try from outside the Exeter 22. MacGinty converted to give the Pat Lam’s Bears side hope.
From the restart, some immense carries from van Rensburg and the Bristol forwards got them out of their 22, before MacGinty kicked cross field to Ibitoye, who scored a try for Bristol just over a minute after their previous conversion. After MacGinty’s conversion the deficit was narrowed to six points and following a slick offload from van Rensburg, Ibitoye did well to finish another try just over a minute later, which gave Bristol a one point lead with ten minutes remaining.
With alarm bells ringing for the Chiefs, they attempted to steady the ship and took the lead with a Hodge penalty kick from a scrum penalty in the Bristol half. But after a fantastic assist from England scrum-half Harry Randall, Ibitoye showed some silky footwork and an amazing turn of pace to grab his hat trick in just eight minutes. MacGinty’s conversion opened the Bear’s lead to five points and despite a penalty at the death, Exeter were unable to steal the lead back from Bristol.
Match Scorers
EXETER CHIEFS: 35
TRIES: (Brown-Bampoe 18’, 56’, Feyi-Waboso 38’, 61’)
CONVERSIONS: (Hodge 40’, 57’, 62’)
PENALTIES: (Hodge 9’, 43’, 74’)
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 1 (Frost 64’)
RED CARDS: 0
15. Josh Hodge 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 13. Olly Woodburn 12. Joe Hawkins 11. Paul Brown-Bampoe 10. Harvey Skinner 9. Sam Maunder 1. Scott Sio 2. Jack Yeandle (captain) 3. Marcus Street 4. Rusi Tuima 5. Franco Molina 6. Jacques Vermeulen 7. Richard Capstick 8. Ross Vintcent
Replacements
16. Dan Frost 17. Will Goodrick-Clarke 18. Josh Iosefa-Scott 19. Jack Dunne 20. Ethan Roots 21. Tom Cairns 22. Ben Hammersley 23. Greg Fisilau
BRISTOL BEARS: 40
TRIES: (Marmion 11’, Batley 27’, Oghre 66’, Ibitoye 68’, 69’, 76’)
CONVERSIONS: (MacGinty 28’, 67’, 68’, 70’, 78’)
PENALTIES: 0
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 1 (Caulfield 15’)
RED CARDS: 0
15. Rich Lane 14. Jack Bates 13. Joe Jenkins 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg 11. Gabriel Ibitoye 10. AJ MacGinty 9. Kieran Marmion 1. Jake Woolmore 2. Gabriel Oghre 3. Max Lahiff 4. Josh Caulfield 5. Joe Batley 6. Steven Luatua 7. Santiago Grondona 8. Fitz Harding (captain)
Replacements
16. Will Capon 17. Ellis Genge 18. George Kloska 19. James Dun 20. Benjamin Grondona 21. Harry Randall 22. Sam Worsley 23. Benjamin Elizalde
5 TALKING POINTS: EXETER CHIEFS 35 – 40 BRISTOL BEARS
1. Wingers on fire for both Bristol and Exeter
In today’s clash the wings Gabriel Ibitoye, Paul Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso were responsible for seven tries between them and were all fantastic.
Ibitoye was barely given any opportunities all game, but demonstrating the phrase ‘quality over quantity’, he scored off every chance. A phenomenal effort and if he wasn’t on the pitch, an Exeter win would seem much more likely.
Brown-Bampoe, the former Durham University student, is going from strength to strength. Although impressing on his debut against Leicester Tigers, today was an announcement that he is the real deal. Opposition teams will struggle to mark both him and Feyi-Waboso, a deadly strike pairing to rival Freeman and Sleightholme at Northampton Saints.
Feyi-Waboso started quietly, but seemingly spurred on by his teammate’s efforts, he put on quite a show. The England wing showed the qualities that saw him start every game of England’s tour, a threat every time he received the ball. He appeared to be competing with Brown-Bampoe for a hat trick, before Ibitoye’s herculean effort.
2. Argentine X-factor
Last week Santiago Grondona announced himself to the Premiership for Bristol, this week it was Franco Molina’s turn for Exeter. An immense debut from the Argentina second row, it is a shame that his efforts have been overshadowed by the result.
From taking lineouts, to massive shots in defence and even soft hands for Brown-Bampoe’s second try, his rugby pedigree is evident. Playing in the second row also allowed Richard Capstick to move back to flanker, a position that he seemed to flourish in today. Molina looks to be a genius signing by Rob Baxter.
3. Bear’s Flair
Pat Lam’s Bristol side are renowned for their electric, expansive style of play despite the risks associated with it. It’s hard to doubt its results after today, wherein a conservative, risk averse style of play is unlikely to score you 28 points in 15 minutes. But Bears will need to look after USA fly-half AJ MacGinty, his composure to convert all four of his second half conversions under time and score pressure is worth its weight in gold.
4. Exeter DNA
With a younger side, Exeter’s identity is starting to show, albeit without the results today. The return of enforcer Jacques Vermeulen twinned with the added grunt of Molina gave Exeter some size and depth in the back five of the scrum that seems integral to their style of play, repeatedly making metres post contact and clearing rucks with anger. Will only improve with Welsh pair Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza.
In the backs an injury crisis in the midfield has not helped, but the Chiefs back three is top draw. Baxter will be hoping that Henry Slade’s return from injury is soon, his experience could be what this Exeter backline needs.
5. Exeter’s losing streak
Despite some improvements evident in the first hour of today’s match, the scoreline is what matters most. Like their game against Leicester in the opening round of the Premiership, rather than their opponents winning, they seemed to lose the match.
Exeter are on their worst losing streak in the Premiership since 2014. The Exeter Chiefs side that won both the Premiership and the Champions Cup since that last streak at times looked like a team that had forgotten how to lose, now, Exeter seem to have forgotten how to win.
