14-man Exeter tuned up for their season-defining Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against La Rochelle next weekend with an impressive 22-21 comeback win in the Premiership against Bristol on Saturday.
The downside for Exeter is they will be heading to Bordeaux without upcoming lock star Dafydd Jenkins who was red-carded in the 17th minute for a high tackle on Max Lahiff with the game scoreless. But the hosts stayed in the fight with tries from departing legends Ian Whitten and Dave Ewers, and another for Josh Iosefa-Scott, to allow Joe Simmonds to land a 78th-minute penalty to win it.
Bristol scored tries through George Kloska, Joe Jenkins and Yann Thomas, all converted by Callum Sheedy but it proved to not be enough.
READ MORE: Exeter Chiefs 22-21 Bristol Bears LIVE: Full reaction from Sandy Park
Saturday signaled the end of an era for Exeter as Stuart Hogg, Dave Ewers, Ian Whitten, Joe and Sam Simmonds and Dave Ewers started their final game for Chiefs, headlining 19 departures from the club come the end of the season including Exeter’s first British and Irish Lion Jack Nowell who missed the Premiership tie with a knee issue.
Henry Slade returned from England rest to form a new-look centre partnership with Whitten following injuries in last weekend’s humbling 62-19 defeat at Leicester Tigers.
Olly Woodburn, who was shown two yellow cards to get sent off at Welford Road, was back on the wing with his red card judged as sufficient punishment.
Bristol boss Pat Lam was forced into four changes to his starting XV, three due to injury with AJ MacGinty, Harry Thacker and Magnus Bradbury ruled out after the bruising 36-20 loss to Sale Sharks which also ended Ellis Genge’s season after he was cited and subsequently banned for a high tackle on Tom Curry.
In came Callum Sheedy, Will Capon and Sam Jeffries, with Yann Thomas replacing Genge at tighthead.
Despite plenty of attacking endeavor, the game was scoreless after 17 minutes until Welsh international Jenkins was shown yellow for an upright face-on-head tackle on Bristol tighthead Lahiff which cut him and saw his match end early.
After close examination from the TMO, referee Craig Maxwell-Keys flashed red to Jenkins and moments later Lahiff’s replacement Kloska powered over from short range.
Bristol then wasted a number of chances to extend their lead and Exeter rallied having been thrashed after going a man down six days ago in Leicester.
The Bears repeatedly lost their discipline to allow the hosts to kick deep into their opponents’ 22 and Whitten and Ewers, as both have so many times over the last decade, found their way over the whitewash from close range.
Bristol were first to strike after the break as James Williams exposed Joe SImmonds weakness in defence by running through the fly-half before playing in Jenkins to race home under the sticks.
The Bears’ third score was less dramatic, but seemingly crucial as Yann Thomas powered through a gap at the edge of a ruck to put the visitors beyond one score.
But a dropped lineout from Bears lock Joe Batley gifted Chiefs a way back into the game as replacement Exeter tighthead Josh Iosefa-Scott gathered the bouncing ball and powered over to make it a two-point game.
And with the weather worsening it was a scrum penalty that earned another departing Exeter legend, Joe Simmonds, the chance to slot a 30m kick to earn a memorable win and send the home fans into raptures.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tom Wyatt, 13 Henry Slade (capt), 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Will Becconsall; 1 Nika Abuladze, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Marcus Street, 4 Jack Dunne, 5 Dafydd Jenkins, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 8 Sam Simmonds.
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 19 Aidon Davis, 20 Christ Tshiunza, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Sean O'Brien.
Bristol Bears: 15. Charles Piutau, 14. Siva Naulago, 13. Joe Jenkins, 12. James Williams, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye, 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Harry Randall (cc); 1. Yann Thomas, 2. Will Capon, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. Joe Batley, 5. Chris Vui, 6. Steven Luatua (cc), 7. Sam Jeffries, 8. Fitz Harding.
Replacements: 16. Fred Davies, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. George Kloska, 19. Charlie Rice, 20. Dan Thomas, 21. Andy Uren, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Ioan Lloyd.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (122nd Premiership game).
Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe and Jonathan Healy.
TMO : David Rose.
Citing Officer : Budge Pountney.
Attendance: 14,457
