Late Keast try snatches thrilling victory for Exeter over Bristol
Exeter moved eleven points clear at the Gallagher Premiership summit after beating title rivals Bristol 25-22 in thrilling fashion at a windswept Ashton Gate. Bristol stay second and firmly on course for the play-offs, but they were edged out by the favourites for this season’s Premiership silverware after Chiefs prop Billy Keast touched down three minutes from time and Gareth Steenson converted.
Despite Chiefs boss Rob Baxter making 14 changes to his line-up, Exeter displayed enviable squad depth as tries by centre Phil Dollman and scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne helped them surge 15 points clear.
Bristol then wiped out that deficit through quickfire second-half tries from centre Piers O’Conor and wing Luke Morahan, with Callum Sheedy converting both scores and kicking a penalty. Sheedy’s opposite number Steenson, who finished with 10 points, edged Exeter back in front, only for replacement Ioan Lloyd to claim Bristol’s third try.
An eighth successive Premiership win for Bristol looked likely, yet they were snuffed out by a resilient Exeter side with experienced Steenson controlling tactics superbly. There is every chance the teams will meet again in the Premiership final at Twickenham on October 24, and another classic beckons if that materialises.
Bristol showed nine changes from the side that beat Gloucester last time out, including a return after injury for O’Conor, while only wing Olly Woodburn remained in Exeter’s line-up following the victory over Sale Sharks four days ago.
The moment that sealed the win for Exeter ? pic.twitter.com/394lGF2dH8
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) August 25, 2020
Bristol, unbeaten in the league since early January, came under early pressure as Exeter dominated in terms of territory even if they did not create any clear-cut chances. With the wind whipping around Ashton Gate, it tested kickers on both sides, and keeping ball in hand appeared a better option.
Exeter showed exactly why in the 14th minute, moving ahead following a brilliant solo effort by 35-year-old Dollman. The Welshman, who has played the overwhelming majority of his Chiefs career at full-back, revelled in a rare midfield outing as he beat four defenders to claim an outstanding try that Steenson converted.
Bristol struggled to break out of their own half, and they fell further behind following a sharp Chiefs try that was created by Woodburn’s pace and finished by Scotland international Hidalgo-Clyne on his first Exeter start.
The precision of Exeter’s play in testing conditions was remarkable at times, and Steenson extended their lead by kicking a short-range penalty five minutes before the break. Bristol were desperate to open their account, and a rare excursion into Exeter’s 22 ended with them gaining a penalty that Sheedy kicked to make it 15-3 at half-time.
Bristol had shown signs of a revival approaching the interval, and although Sheedy hit the post with a 42nd-minute penalty attempt, they forged ahead through a spectacular scoring burst. O’Conor was the first to touchdown, breaching Exeter’s defence from close range, then Morahan added a second try just three minutes later, with Sheedy converting both to edge Bristol ahead.
It was thrilling rugby as the top-of-the-table clash lived up to its billing despite it being played behind closed doors. Steenson’s 65th-minute penalty put Exeter back in front before Lloyd struck for Bristol, yet the Chiefs and Keast won it at the death, ending an absorbing contest.
Phil Dollman hasn't lost a step ?
Slicing open the Bears…
How long has he been doing this for?! pic.twitter.com/87VMTbVOAY
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) August 25, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
97 Go to commentsHo hum.
97 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
97 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
97 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
97 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
97 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
97 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
97 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
97 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
97 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
97 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
97 Go to commentsHonestly, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. RSA has a ton of experienced talent in its leadership group. I am more interested in who is the new 8 man/8 men and the younger props. The captain may change but the system does not
1 Go to comments