Bristol just punched their ticket to third place in the Prem after taking down Exeter 20-7 at Ashton Gate. Talk about a statement game, especially when Gabriel Ibitoye was all over both of their scores, showing up huge for the Bears when it mattered most.
Sloppy Start Turns Into Ibitoye Magic
Man, those conditions were rough from the jump. Stormy weather made both sides struggle to even hold onto the ball, setting up an attritional first half. Bristol almost got on the board in the opening minute after an Exeter mistake under a kick, but it stayed scoreless for a while. The Bears had the territory and possession, but Exeter’s defense was stout.
Then, at the 26-minute mark, the pressure finally broke. Gabriel Ibitoye got on the end of a perfect looping pass from Harry Randall, beat Zack Wimbush, and dove into the left corner for Bristol’s first try! James Williams nailed the conversion and then added a penalty three minutes later, pushing the lead to 10 points. Ouch, adding injury to insult, Exeter then lost Australia star Tom Hooper to a shoulder injury right before halftime.
Exeter Fights Back, But Bristol Seals It Late
Exeter didn’t fold after the break, though. Henry Slade nearly dotted down a Sam Wolstenholme grubber kick, and then, 12 minutes after the restart, their maul powered Greg Fisilau over the line to get them on the scoreboard. Slade converted, and suddenly it was a 10-7 game. The Chiefs kept pushing, even earning another penalty inside the 22 with about eight minutes left, trying to force a second score.
But Gabriel Ibitoye, man, he was everywhere! He made a superb play to turn the ball over for Bristol just six meters out. The Bears went straight downfield, a high tackle led to a penalty, and James Williams, despite the tough conditions, absolutely slotted a crucial 41-meter kick. Then, the weather played a cruel trick on Olly Woodburn, who fumbled a high ball. Ibitoye was all over him, pressing hard, and after eight phases, replacement Luca Ivanishvili crashed over from close range to seal the deal. That late try was huge, because it denied Exeter a losing bonus point.
This win puts Bristol in a sweet spot in the Prem standings, sitting pretty in third. For Exeter, though, dropping this one 20-7 and losing out on that bonus point means Rob Baxter’s side is stuck in ninth with eight points, six behind the Bears. They gotta figure out how to bounce back, big time, if they wanna climb out of that hole.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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