Somerset may have missed out on the County Championship but the West Country is currently enjoying a sporting renaissance. For the first time there are four clubs from the region in the Premiership and the title of “best in the west” has never been so keenly contested. Exeter, on this evidence, stand every chance of being crowned cider kings, while Bristol could already do with some urgent refreshment.
A fourth straight defeat for Andy Robinson’s side was not as sobering as last weekend’s 70-point hammering at Wasps but, once again, Bristol could not live with the pace and positivity of high-ranking opponents. With the Chiefs forwards on the front foot and Gareth Steenson expertly marshalling his backs, the final margin would have been wider had they played at full bore for the entire 80 minutes.
As it was, the visitors still scored five tries, with Olly Woodburn and Thomas Waldrom claiming two apiece. The Chiefs’ management will be less satisfied with a scrappy second half but, with Henry Slade and Sam Hill reunited at centre, there was more of a cutting edge to their midfield. Hill added a fifth try in the 78th minute to ensure Exeter returned back down the M5 with their first away win of the season.
It was the first time Exeter have played in Bristol since winning promotion at the old Memorial Ground in 2010 and the city still seems to inspire them. Woodman’s brace of tries in the opening quarter earned them a 14-0 lead almost before their hosts had blinked, despite losing Ian Whitten to the sin-bin after he and Ryan Edwards collided as they chased an up-and-under. They were still able to breach the Bristol defence with 14 men when Slade and Hill combined cleverly in midfield to send their wing charging through the middle. The home side did strike back when Edwards’ nifty footwork left Lachie Turner marooned and put Jordan Williams over but it was a rare early instance of Devonian misjudgement.
The Chiefs starting XV was also a statistician’s delight: when was the last time an Aviva Premiership pack contained five forwards born in Australia? With Kiwi Waldrom at No8 and Turner, a former Wallaby, at full-back there is currently no shortage of southern hemisphere influence at Sandy Park. It was underlined shortly before the interval when Exeter once again established themselves in the danger zone and Waldrom poached another of his trademark close-range scores. A try bonus point should probably have been snaffled before half-time, only for another rumbling drive to be held up over the line.
On the season’s opening two weekends Chiefs displayed an uncharacteristic lack of tempo at times and paid the penalty in the form of frustrating defeats to Wasps and Saracens. That lesson has been swiftly absorbed and, with Steenson back starting at 10, they look more like their normal, energetic selves.
Initially at least it was a similar tale after half-time with Waldrom adding his second try of the evening, again from point-blank range, within three minutes of the restart. Loosehead prop Alec Hepburn – born in Perth but an England Saxon in the summer – and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie were equally conspicuous in the loose; when Chiefs get their basics right they are hard work for anyone.
In the circumstances Bristol will be consoled by their spirit in adversity, with front-row forwards Ross McMillan and Max Crumpton both crashing over to reduce the deficit, but there is no let-up, with Saracens arriving next week
“The result is pretty damning and disappointing,” admitted Robinson. “There was plenty of effort but Exeter controlled the tempo of that game. It could be another tough day for us but we understand the challenges we’ve got. These games will help us immensely in the battles we’ll have in the future.”
Bristol Williams; Edwards, Hurrell, Palamo, Varndell (Amersbury, 2-12; 49); Pisi, Cliff; Traynor (Tonga’uiha, 60), McMillan (Crumpton, 60), Cortes (Ford-Robinson, 60), Phillips, Sorenson, Fisher (Joyce, 65), Lam (capt), Crane (Eadie, 49). Replacements not used Roberts, Jarvis.
Tries Williams, McMillan, Crumpton. Con Williams.
Exeter Turner (Devoto, 65); Woodburn, Hill, Slade (Short, 68), Whitten; Steenson (capt), Chudley (Lewis, 72); Hepburn (Moon, 54), Cowan-Dickie (Yeandle, 54), Holmes (Williams, 54), Lees, Welch (Parling, 62), Dennis, Salvi (Horstmann, 67), Waldrom.
Tries Woodburn 2, Waldrom 2, Hill. Cons Steenson 5. Pens Steenson 2. Sin-bin Whitten 13.
Referee T Foley (RFU). Att 15,065.
