Braves 47 Bears 26
Exeter Braves 47
Bristol Bears 26
Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
Just as Exeter Chiefs have started the new season unbeaten in the Gallagher Premiership, so the Exeter Braves are treading a similar path as they recorded a third successive victory in this season’s Premiership Rugby Shield.
Having secured maximum reward from previous encounters against Saracens Storm and Bath United, the Braves bagged another five-point haul, this time against visiting Bristol Bears at Sandy Park.
No.8 Tom Lawday led the way for the hosts with a hat-trick of tries, while there were further scores for Greg Holmes, Onehunga Kaufusi and Michele Campagnaro, together with a penalty try.
Bristol, who had earlier led 14-0 after a flying opening quarter, played their part in an entertaining encounter and were at least able to head home with a try-scoring bonus thanks to touchdowns from Jake Heenan (2), Ryan Edwards and Dan Thomas.
Again able to parade a powerful line-up, which included four internationals within their ranks, it was a sluggish start from the Braves. Just two minutes had been played when the Bears broke the deadlock with the game’s opening try.
Having won a penalty deep inside the Exeter 22, former Gloucester back-row forward Thomas caught the hosts napping when he went quick off a tap penalty. Although he was felled just shy of the home try-line, team-mate Heenan was on his shoulder and was able to pick up and drive over for the score, converted by fly-half Sam Bedlow.
The visitors were dominating the early stages and although Bedlow saw a long-range penalty sail wide of the left post, he made no mistake when he dispatched a sublime touchline conversion to a try from Edwards on 20 minutes.
The winger was able to dot down unopposed after the Bears had created a gaping hole out wide that Bedlow was able to kick into and Edwards gobbled up the ball to score.
With things clearly not going to script for the Braves, they needed to summon a response of sorts. Winger Tom O’Flaherty offered their first real threat with a lively break-out from deep inside his own half, before the home pack took charge just minutes later to drive themselves behind enemy lines.
A succession of pick-and-go moves put the Braves within sniffing distance of the line, before Aussie International Holmes picked up to drive his way over from close range for Exeter’s opening try, which was converted by fly-half Sam Morley.
One try soon became two as the home pack again delivered on 34 minutes, their ferocious shove at a five-metre scrum not only had the Bears wheeling back at a rate of knots, but it left referee Sara Cox will leave option than to award a penalty try.
Then, in the final action of the half, the Braves took the lead for the first time. With Bristol hooker Will Capon sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul, the home side made their man advantage pay as they worked the opening for Lawday to claim his first of the afternoon. Morley again obliged with the conversion, this time cannoning it in off the near post, to give his side a seven-point cushion at the turn.
HALF TIME EXETER BRAVES 21 BRISTOL BEARS 14
The second half had hardly got underway when the Braves extended their lead, Lawday - who impressed recently on his Premiership debut against Sale Sharks - claiming his second of the afternoon, when his fancy footwork, turn of speed, then lunge for the line saw him cross for the score, which Harvey Skinner was able to convert.
With their pack starting to really the roost, it came as no surprise when the power-play of the Braves eight again worked their magic just minutes later. Having positioned themselves well inside the Bristol 22, they slowly went about their business, sucking in the Bears defence with their highly-successful pick-and-go raids.
To their credit, the visitors did well to throw countless tacklers at the incessant waves, but in the end there would be no stopping Tongan international Kaufusi from scoring on his Sandy Park debut. Again, Skinner slotted the additional two points to make it 35-14.
Other sides could easily have crumbled at that point, but Bristol - to their credit - refused to throw in the towel. Instead, they proceeded back down field themselves, working their way through a series of phases that eventually resulted in a try for the lively Thomas.
Replacements aplenty were introduced from both sides as the game headed towards the final quarter, but it was the Braves who were the next to show. James Short and Lawday launched a raid down field, it came back inside to Campagnaro, who blasted his way through the heart of the visiting rearguard.
Although the Italian was thwarted in his advances, the ball was recycled through numerous sets of hands, before it found it’s way back into the hands of the centre, who was able to cross in the right-hand corner.
Heenan’s late score, when he picked up from the base of a scrum, did at least allow the Bears to collect a losing bonus point, but it was fittingly left to Lawday to have the final say of the game.
With winger Maliq Holden sent to the sin-bin when he deliberately blocked off Max Bodilly’s offload to Tom Hendrickson, the Braves again made their numerical advantage pay. A kick to the corner, a drive from the line-out, and there was Lawday to burrow his way through a mass of bodies for a third converted score.
Braves: M Bodilly; T O’Flaherty (J Elderkin 75), M Campagnaro, T Hendrickson, J Short; S Morley (H Skinner h/t), S Maunder (J Snow 66); M Low (D Southworth 66), J Innard (P Davis 70), G Holmes (A Petch 54); R Capstick (J Clemson 60), W Van Der Sluys; O Kaufusi (M Norey 72), J Freeman (capt), T Lawday.
Tries - Holmes, Penalty Try, Lawday (3), Kaufusi, Campagnaro; Conversions - Morley (2), Penalty Try, H Skinner (3)
Bears: T Pincus; R Edwards, C Powell, H Asherl (I Lloyd 51), M Holden; S Bedlow, R Cullen (B Boyland 70); J Lay, W Capon, O Dawe; J Batley, S Jeffries (E Ehizode 60); J Dun (G Kloska 32-40, S Graham 54, G Kloska 63), D Thomas, J Heenan (capt). Replacements (not used): J Cosgrove, N Thomas, A Chapman
Tries - Heenan (2), Edwards, Thomas; Conversions - Bedlow (3)
Yellow Cards: Capon, Holden
Referee: S Cox
Attendance: 1,100