Chiefs 22 Bears 21
Exeter Chiefs 22
Bristol Bears 21
Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
Exeter’s rugby rise has been the stuff of romance, but in a few weeks’ time the Chiefs love affair is set for an almighty break-up.
No, there hasn’t been a big fall-out - far from it - but Rob Baxter’s golden generation are at a different stage in their lives and the time for change is set to happen.
Legends of the club today had their final Sandy Park run-out. Years of blood, sweat and tears eventually coming to a head in an emotional Westcountry derby against near neighbours Bristol Bears.
This so-called ‘last dance’ had it all, going right to the wire but, ultimately, it ended in a glorious hurrah that was just reward for the glut of household names bidding farewell to the club next month.
With Sandy Park packed to the rafters, it was a somewhat moving start to the contest as the Chiefs were led out onto the field by their trio of retirees, Ben Moon, Stuart Hogg and Ian Whitten. Joined by their families, it was fitting they were given a rousing ovation for their final home appearance.
Behind them, there were a flurry of others - Dave Ewers, Jannes Kirsten and the Simmonds brothers, Joe and Sam, who were also running out in the famous black jersey for a final time. They too were met with a wall of noise from the Chiefs faithful, many of whom have seen these players grow by the year.
Bristol, though, were in no mood to join the party and having soaked up some determined early pressure from their hosts, it was their turn to flex their muscles in attack.
Star full-back Charles Piutau, who himself is departing the Bears at the end of the season, led their charge with one of his trademark bursts throughout the middle and as he fed back for Chris Vui, the Chiefs were able to scramble sufficiently to hold their near neighbours at bay.
Moments later and the visitors threatened again, this time from their live-wire scrum-half Harry Randall, who looked to catch the Chiefs napping from a quickly-taken tap penalty. As he darted towards the try-line, it took a combination of Exeter defenders to somehow get between him and the whitewash.
It was impressive stuff in defence from the Chiefs, but their afternoon was to get a whole lot harder when, following a hefty collision midway inside their own half between Dafydd Jenkins, Kirsten and Bristol prop Max Lahiff, it was Jenkins who was singled out by TMO David Rose for a head-on-head collision.
As is so often the case these days, the countless replays followed on the big screens, after which the deliberation between the officials deemed that the Welsh international had failed to change his positioning, resulting in a first-ever red card for the young lock.
It took the Bears just two minutes to make their numerical advantage pay dividends, the visitors finally rewarded for a sustained spell of pressure when Kloska, on as a replacement for Lahiff, burrowed his way over from close range for the score, converted by the boot of Sheedy.
Up against it, the Chiefs needed to summon a rapid response. Thankfully, they did just that, the forwards setting the tone with a series of heavyweight carries that allowed them to gain vital territory deep inside the Bears half. With pressure mounting and penalties flowing, the hosts finally make the breakthrough when, following two decent carries from hooker Dan Frost, it was Whitten who was able to pick up the ball and power over for the converted score.
Parity restored, it was just the lift the Chiefs needed. Indeed, they grew off the score as Whitten and Sam Simmonds almost combined down the left, the No.8 just running out of space before he was bundled into touch.
Undeterred, the Chiefs continued to pile forward and with half time fast approaching, they made the decisive breakthrough when, following a line-out drive that had been held just shy of the line, they drove back in field and there was Ewers, not for the first time in his illustrious Exeter career, to bulldoze his way over the line.
HALF TIME: EXETER CHIEFS 12 BRISTOL BEARS 7
With conditions overhead worsening by the minute, the opening skirmishes of the second period were restricted to an old-fashioned arm wrestle as the respective packs looked to gain the early edge.
When open play finally broke out, however, it was the Bears who struck as centre James Williams exposed some weakness in the home defence by Joe Simmonds and he combined with Randall to send Joe Jenkins through the middle and under the sticks for a second converted try.
The watching Baxter knew he needed to address certain aspects of his side’s play and having changed the entire front-row, it wouldn’t be long before he restored his eight-man forward offensive, bringing on Christ Tshiunza and sacrificing winger Tom Wyatt.
The Bears, though, did not mind too much and when they positioned themselves back behind enemy lines, the visitors used their own forwards to create the opening for loosehead prop Yann Thomas to drive over from close range. Sheedy again converted to make it another maximum haul.
Now two scores behind and with their Champions Cup qualification hopes hanging in the balance, the Chiefs again needed to dig deep as they entered into the final quarter. With the Bears continuing to cough up a string of penalties - all of which failed to see referee Craig Maxwell-Keys revert to a yellow card - the home side looked to go with one final push.
Having pegged the Bears back in their own 22, a loose line-out from hooker Will Capon was seized upon by Chiefs prop Josh Iosefa-Scott, who scooped up the loose ball and charged his way to the line for a crucial converted score.
Back in contention and with Sandy Park now in full battle cry, the momentum was now suddenly with the Chiefs as they looked to attack the dying minutes. Initially, they were thwarted in their hopes as the Bears, quite cutely at times, took the sting out of the contest.
However, when awarded a scrum midway inside the Bears half with just two minutes remaining, Exeter’s eight produced a juggernaut-like thrust that dismantled their opponents into submission. It provided Joe Simmonds with the perfect moment to seal his final farewell to Sandy Park.
Under great scrutiny from all inside the packed stadium bowl, Simmonds - just like he often performs on the golf course - metronomically stroked over the decisive kick to put his side back in front once more.
Still with just over a minute to play, the Bears did their best to regather the restart, but the Chiefs were having none of it. This was their day, their moment, no-one was going to spoil it!
Chiefs: S Hogg; T Wyatt (C Tshiunza 55), H Slade (capt), I Whitten (S O’Brien 68), O Woodburn; J Simmonds, W Becconsall (S Townsend 53); N Abuladze (A Hepburn 48), D Frost (J Yeandle 48), M Street (J Iosefa-Scott 48); J Dunne, D Jenkins; D Ewers (A Davis 55), J Kirsten, S Simmonds. Replacement (not used): H Skinner.
Tries - Whitten, Ewers, Iosefa-Scott; Conversion - J Simmonds (2); Penalty - J Simmonds
Red Card: D Jenkins
Bears: C Piutau; S Naulago (I Lloyd 62), J Jenkins, J Williams, G Ibitoye (16 apps); C Sheedy (S Bedlow 67), H Randall (cc, A Uren 59); Y Thomas (J Woolmore 58), W Capon, M Lahiff (G Kloska 5-17, 18); J Batley (C Rice 76), C Vui; S Luatua (cc, D Thomas 64), S Jeffries, F Harding. Replacements (not used): F Davies.
Tries - Kloska, J Jenkins, Y Thomas; Conversions - Sheedy (3)
Referee: C Maxwell-Keys
Attendance: 14,457