Gallagher Premiership
Saturday, January 1st 2022
Sandy Park

	Exeter Chiefs	19
	Bristol Bears	13

Match Report

Will Carpenter reports from Sandy Park

Posted Saturday, January 1st 2022 @bristolsportwkc

Report: Exeter Chiefs 19-13 Bristol Bears

Saturday, January 1st 2022

Bristol Bears earned a late losing bonus-point in a bruising West Country derby at Sandy Park on New Year's Day.

Callum Sheedy's 79th minute penalty edged the Bears within six point of the Chiefs, after Henry Purdy's interception 11 minutes from time had dragged Pat Lam's side back into the contest.

Earlier, first-half tries from Tom O'Flaherty and Jonny Hill had powered the Chiefs into a 12-3 half-time lead, before Purdy's opportunist score made it a two-point game heading into the closing stages.

But Stuart Hogg dived over in the right-hand corner to restore the Chiefs' advantage late on, leaving Sheedy to ensure the Bears wouldn't leave Devon empty handed.

Exeter Chiefs: Hogg; Nowell, Slade, Devoto, O'Flaherty; J Simmonds, Maunder; Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie (c), Nixon, S Skinner, Hill, Ewers, Kirsten, S Simmonds

Replacements: Yeandle, Moon, Iosefa-Scott, Lonsdale, Armand, Maunder, H Skinner, Whitten.

Bristol Bears: Piutau (Purdy 26); Morahan, Radradra, Bedlow (O’Conor 64), Lloyd; Sheedy, Randall (Uren 66); Y Thomas (Woolmore 48), Thacker, Sinckler (Afoa 48), Joyce (c), Vui, Harding, D Thomas (Eadie 66), Hughes (Hawkins 48).

Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Afoa, Hawkins, Eadie, Uren, O'Conor, Purdy.

Exeter Chiefs: Tries: O'Flaherty 14, Hill 32, Hogg 77. Cons: Simmonds 14, 77.

Bristol Bears: Tries: Purdy 69. Cons: Sheedy 69. Pens: Sheedy 19, 79.