It's game day
Exeter Chiefs host Bristol Bears host in Round 23 of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership on Saturday as both sides look to secure their place in next season's Heineken Champions Cup.
Exeter of course very much have their focus on this season's Champions Cup with a semi-final away in Bordeaux against La Rochelle just over a week away. Cheifs' final home game of the season looks set to be a tune-up for that season-defining game.
The game kicks-off at 3pm on Saturday.
Follow all the build-up, team news, live play-by-play match updates, reaction, stats, analysis and highlights from Sandy Park with regular updates below...
Key Events
Reaction from Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds
Simmonds said:
We have had a few games like that this year where we have left it late in the day.
It was a tough old game with the red card for Daf.
Credit to the players, no one panicked
To finish it off with a win was jsut outstanding.
We train these things day-in, day out, and we knew our fitness would hold out.
Reaction from Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam
Lam said:
That has slipped through our grasp. We were nine points ahead with 10 minutes to go
I was pleased the way we came out at half time and took hold of the game but we couldn’t finish it off. We had a 17-7 penalty count against us and there were some really silly ones in there that gives up possession, gives up territory and gives up points.
We feel like we made it pretty easy for Exeter to get those points in the end.
I felt for a lot of the players because the defence was huge, we held them out for a long time but we have only got ourselves to blame.
Unfortunately the errors of a few cost us all.
It looks like Champions Cup qualification is going to come down to the last game at Ashton Gate, everything is going to be on that game in two weeks' time.
Reaction from Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter
Baxter said:
We had plenty of practice last week playing with 14 players so that paid off a bit today.
We managed the scenario a lot better compared to last week where we let things compound and got on the back foot way too often.
Today we managed it really well, got it right about keeping seven forwards on and then going to eight forwards in the end as the conditions changed and it became a more setpiece orientated game.
Great credit to the players, it was a very difficult situation. First, you have to get your attitude right and I thought we did that very well and then you have got to execute with some slightly different tactics which I thought we did well.
I am delighted for the players because we had a number of players running out at Sandy Park for their last time as an Exeter Chiefs players, we wanted the day to go well for them and as it turned out it has been a great occasion for them, in a different way to what we planned as they have battled through very difficult circumstances and got us a very important Premiership win with Champions Cup places stil up for grabs.
Reaction from Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter
Baxter said:
We had plenty of practice last week playing with 14 players so that paid off a bit today.
We managed the scenario a lot better compared to last week where we let things compound and got on the back foot way too often.
Today we managed it really well, got it right about keeping seven forwards on and then going to eight forwards in the end as the conditions changed and it became a more setpiece orientated game.
Great credit to the players, it was a very difficult situation. First, you have to get your attitude right and I thought we did that very well and then you have got to execute with some slightly different tactics which I thought we did well.
I am delighted for the players because we had a number of players running out at Sandy Park for their last time as an Exeter Chiefs players, we wanted the day to go well for them and as it turned out it has been a great occasion for them, in a different way to what we planned as they have battled through very difficult circumstances and got us a very important Premiership win with Champions Cup places stil up for grabs.
FULL TIME - Exeter Chiefs 22 Bristol Bears 21
Chiefs, playing a man down for 63 minutes have won it with their pack win another penalty at the scrum to seal the victory.
The atmosphere in Sandy Park in the last 10 minutes has been pretty special as a wonderful era come to an end with 19 home players moving on.
22-21
PENALTY GOAL - Exeter Chiefs
Joe Simmonds - on his final home game as an Exeter player - looks to have won it for Chiefs with a penalty from 30m out after his pack won a chance for him to go for goal with a penalty at the scrum.
22-21
Bristol creaking under pressure
The Bears can't get their hands on the ball as Exeter are denying the conditions to spread the ball from side to side looking for a gap.
Sam Simmonds makes a half break and at the ruck Bristol compete for the turnover but knock it on.
Scrum to Exeter.
19-21
TRY - Exeter Chiefs
Chiefs are pressing hard for a score to get back in this game and they have got it.
Bristol mess up a lineout on their own throw close to their tryline as Joe Batley drops what should have been an easy catch and and the ball falls to big Josh Iosefa-Scott who powers over.
Joe Simmonds adds the conversion from wide out to the right.
19-21
Another chance wasted
Chiefs are just a couple of metres out after attacking from a lineout deep in the Bristol 22.
But a Bristol forward jackals over the ball and wins a clean turnover to allow the Bears to clear the danger.
The rain has been falling in this second half and the players look to be struggling with the conditions.
12-21
Stripped
Exeter attack from another lineout in the Bristol 22, the hosts win this one but fail to look after the ball and have it ripped clear.
Bristol attack down the blindside and kick long through Andy Uren, who has just come on at scrum half.
Stuart Hogg gets back and sends a high up and under into the gloomy skies.
The ball bounces and the 100-cap Scotland international wins it back but Exeter fail to capitalise as a low grubber kick through goes into touch.
12-21
Standing ovation
Dave Ewers goes off for the final time as an Exeter Chiefs player.
12-21
TRY - Bristol Bears
Yann Thomas is over with another try from a less than a metre out, picking and going to beat the Exeter defence after the fifth attempt at the line by the Bristol forwards.
Callum Sheedy adds the extras.
12-21
Bad error
Henry Slade goes to broke with a kick to the corner and it catches on the wind and drift long into the deadball zone.
Bristol get the ball back at a scrum five metres inside their own half.
12-14
Long TMO check
Fitz Harding survives a long TMO check for his double tackle on Nika Abuladze with Will Capon.
There is no foul play but Exeter get to kick to the corner for an earlier offence.
The problem for the hosts is they lose the lineout in the red zone again and Bristol can clear their lines.
12-14
TRY - Bristol Bears
Bristol made that look easy.
James Williams is at the heart of the good work again as he breaks a tackle from Joe Simmonds, draws the final defender and puts Joe Jenkins into space to race home under the posts.
Callum Sheedy adds the easy extras.
12-14
Line break
James Williams gets on the outside of Henry Slade who slips off the tackle to allow the Bristol centre to eat up 30m of ground before passing wide to Gabriel Ibitoye.
Stuart Hogg comes across to make a good cover tackle to shut down the chance.
12-7
HALF TIME - Exeter Chiefs 12 Bristol Bears 7
Exeter are ahead courtesy of two tries from players leaving the club in the summer.
Ian Whitten, who will retire, powered over from close range, before Ulster bound Dave Ewers did the same.
All three tries in the game have been finished from just a couple of feet out with tighthead prop George Kloska powering over from close-range for Bristol's score.
But the big story of the game so far is the red card for Chiefs lock Dafydd Jenkins following a high tackle on Max Lahiff.
Bristol have been poor playing with an extra man and I imagine will be getting some stern words in the changing room from director of rugby Pat Lam.,
12-7
TRY - Exeter Chiefs
That is a text book Exeter try.
Attacking from a 5m lineout, Chiefs drive to within a couple of feet of the tryline before big Dave Ewers powers over from close range. That is another popular score at Sandy Park for a player moving on this summer.
Joe Simmonds, conversion attempt drifts across the face of the post
12-7
Wrong option
Joe Simmonds makes a brilliant break for Chiefs but just has his shirt held onto, but he gets his arms free to offload to Will Becconsall.
The young scrum half doesn't have much support but tries to throw a 15m long pass out to Tom Wyatt but Gabriel Ibitoye is able to intercept and stop the attack.
7-7
Kick to the corner
Bristol are doing a terrible job playing with an extra man.
Joe Batley gives away an unnecessary penalty for coming around the edge of a ruck to play scrum half Will Becconsall, he then moans about the decision and is marched back another 10m.
Henry Slade kicks into the corner for Chiefs but Bristol skipper Steven Luatua gets out of jail by getting up in front of the middle pod to steal the ball at the lineout close to his tryline.
7-7
TRY - Exeter Chiefs
That is a massively popular try at Sandy Park as Ian Whitten hits a nice out to in line to power over from close range for Exeter on his final game at Sandy Park before retiring.
The chance came after Bristol leaked a couple of back to back penalties to allow Joe Simmonds to kick his side up the pitch and into the Bears' 22.
Simmonds converts the score from wide out to the right.
7-7
TRY - Bristol Bears
George Kloska is over for Bristol with a short range pick and go following a tap penalty 5m out.
Callum Sheedy converts from right in front.
The position to score came from a 5m lineout from the penalty conceded by Jenkins.
0-7
RED CARD - Exeter Chiefs
Dafydd Jenkins is shown a red card by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys for a high - face on face - tackle on Max Lahiff.
Jenkins will not be playing in next Sunday's Champions Cup semi-final now.
Exeter are down to 14 for 63 minutes.
Poor lad.
0-0
HIA reversal
Max Lahiff is back on having passed his HIA which is good news for Bristol who are without injured Kyle Sinckler.
Although Lahiff is now off again having cut his head open.
0-0
Chiefs hold out
Bristol win a free-kick at Exeter's put in at the scrum just 5m out.
The visitors opt to tap the penalty 5m out and drive for the line through Will Capon but the hooker is hit hard and the Bears are driven backwards.
Having lost plenty of ground, the attack comes to an end when Gabriel Ibitoye knocks on.
0-0
Knock on
Bristol are camped in the Exeter 22 and win a penalty 5m out.
Harry Randall takes a quick tap and darts for the line but Exeter are alive to the danger of the Bears scrum half and Dafydd Jenkins makes a try saving tackle, with a knock on them coming to hand Chiefs a scrum under their own posts.
0-0
Try bombed
Bristol Bears the line twice through fabulous line breaks, the first by Gabriel Ibitoye down the left wing, the second by Charles Piutau.
The former All Black is through and has Harry Randall in support on his right but h e fails to give what should have been a scoring pass.
The attack continues but Exeter have recovered defensively.
0-0
