Following Bristol Bears’ 20-7 win over Exeter Chiefs in the all-West Country clash at Ashton Gate, here are our five key takeaways.
The top line
Conditions were monsoon at best and whatever is wetter than a monsoon at worst. The ball was essentially doused in Fairy Liquid and washed off, making it greasy and slippery. The turf, real turf, was subject to what seemed like a permanently flowing dam directly above the stadium to the point where you could hear it on the roof. It felt like the start of true winter rugby, the sort of rugby that people have been crying out for amid a flurry of high-scoring games.
It was a slobberknocker in a slip-and-slide at Ashton Gate.
And bah gawd, Bristol had the edge in the opening exchanges. 67% territory and possession told a story of sheer dominance; at times you lost track of when the Devonians had last touched the ball. But the scoreboard stood at just 10-0, with Gabriel Ibitoye’s try and two kicks from Jimmy Williams (one conversion and one penalty) doing the damage. The question looming over the hosts was if it was enough of a lead, given their overwhelming vice-grip on proceedings.
It was, in the end, but only just.
Greg Fisilau’s maul try in the 53rd minute was a deserved reward for Exeter’s strong start to the half. It seemed to be powering them through, too, with the Chiefs looking to replicate that exact move in the 69th minute; only for Gabriel Ibitoye to come up with a crucial turnover.
From there, Bristol won a string of penalties which gave Williams the chance to slot his third kick of the night, which he duly did, and to add the cherry on top, a bit of wet-weather fortune resulted in Luka Ivanishvili dotting down to make sure of the win. It also denied Exeter a crucial losing bonus-point in the process.
The slobberknocker was always going to be tight, but it was the hosts who came away with the belt.
Weather the storm
Simply put, this was won by the side that managed the conditions the best. It was always going to be, though, given it was played in by far the worst ones of the season thus far.
Bristol, for all of their usual dry-track flicks and tricks, managed things superbly well. Their kicking was on point, from both nine and 10, while they just found a way to be comfortable in pinning the Chiefs down into their own 22 and gaining territory. Their kick-chase also made it equally effective if the ball didn’t find touch, forcing Exeter into slightly shorter, safer kicks and again gaining territory. It was clever.
It wasn’t that the Chiefs dealt with them poorly; after all, they clawed their way back into it in essentially the same way. But then again Bristol sat back and reverted to it when the going got tough in the second-half. Their late try sums it up perfectly, as it came from a clearance kick into the Chiefs’ backfield.
The conditions defined the game, and Bristol got the better of them.
Shifting sands
The result was certainly the deserved one, but it was the manner in which they got it that should leave people thinking more about Bristol’s very real play-off hopes.
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It was a turning of the screw that we don’t often see from the usually high-octane Bears. It was a win built from a shifting of style. It was a win where Bristol showed a different edge. The Bears’ kicking game does often go under the radar, but tonight it sent all sorts of signals to those operators at the early warning stations across the PREM.
Harry Randall’s fascinating switch-up was at the heart of it, with the England international shifting into that sort of controlling playmaker and having absolute control of their play. In turn, he was absolutely pinpoint with his boot, making 689 metres from his 25 kicks, which played a key role in Bristol’s strong start and even stronger end. That is a style of play we don’t usually associate with the wily number nine, who is so often the livewire running threat at the base of the ruck and the beating heart of their all-out attacking nature. He was the heartbeat today, but in a different way, and it best describes their different edge.
It wasn’t just him that had changed tack: AJ MacGinty was another fine contributor to their kick-first system today, while Gabriel Ibitoye, aside from that horrible slice, and Tom Jordan got in on the act too. Even Ellis Genge put in a beautiful kick-ahead that nearly resulted in a try.
This game was never going to be one for all-singing-all-dancing joue rugby that Bristol normally play. But that didn’t matter; they had their fallback, they had their plan B. And they executed it to perfection.
Having two systems that you can just step between almost at will is something that champion sides have. Bristol showed a winner’s edge tonight.
Old-school Chiefs
This was a real call-back to the Chiefs of old, the set-piece bullies that ran rampant in the league for the best part of a decade. That was how they went about their business today.
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Even when Bristol had the upper hand in the contest, Exeter’s scrum was on top in that crucial battlefield. The unit of Nika Abuladze, Jack Yeandle and Josh Iosefa-Scott just seemed to be out for blood at the shove, driving through their Bears opponents with an intent and a desire to win penalties. They got a few for their troubles. The bench unit followed suit, too, yet again getting the better of their Bristol counterparts and making it a focal point of Exeter’s fightback.
The maul was also an increasingly potent force in their resurgence. Fisilau’s try came from a maul that went over from more than 15 metres out, while another few marched through Bristol territory with ease.
Exeter ultimately lost the game, but their set-piece was a big factor in them being in with a chance in the first place. It’s something they need to keep on building as they look to rectify a wobbly start to the new season.
England watch
It was a decent day for a number of England hopefuls too, especially just a day away from the naming of the Nations Championship squad. The aforementioned Randall was simply superb for his side tonight, running the show brilliantly and getting the Player of the Match gong along the way. Fitz Harding yet again caught the eye, in keeping with his usual standards, and it makes you think if he is closing in on that elusive senior Test call-up. Gabriel Ibitoye iced two crucial moments in the contest, which also took Bristol to victory.
Greg Fisilau once again looked the business for Exeter through the middle, and got himself a try for his efforts. Back-row colleague Ethan Roots also stepped up to the plate with an industrious effort.