Hat-trick for Gabriel Ibitoye seals Bristol Bears revival

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs ……………… 35pts

Tries: Brown-Bampoe 19, 57; Feyi-Waboso 39, 62

Conversions: Hodge 40, 58, 63

Penalties: Hodge 10, 45, 75

Bristol Bears ………………. 40pts

Tries Marmion 12, Batley 28, Oghre 67, Ibitoye 69, 70, 77;

Conversions: MacGinty 29, 68, 69, 70, 78

Gabriel Ibitoye spearheaded an unlikely Bristol revival as the Bears took the spoils in an absorbing derby at Sandy Park.

With the visitors 20 points adrift, the winger lifted his side to a memorable victory against the winless Chiefs.

Not since 2014 have Rob Baxter’s side lost five successive league games, this includes one from the end of last term, but these are tough times for the Devonians, who had looked to be in the box seat following a brace of tries from wingers Paul Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

The Bears have been in sparkling form on the road and they showed all their fight and desire which augurs well for them this season.

It was a gutsy performance from Pat Lam’s side, who also claimed scores from Kieran Marmion, Joe Batley and Gabriel Oghre.

First Half

Defeated in their opening three games, the Chiefs didn’t look like a side who were short of confidence.

They were quickly into their attacking rhythm, dominating the early exchanges with a succession of raids into enemy territory which led to an infringement by hooker Oghre which gave Hodge a shot at goal, and the ball cannoned in off the post on nine minutes.

Exeter’s lead was short-lived as the Bears – with their first meaningful attack – hit back moments later, Fitz Harding and Batley combining down the blindside to send Marmion scampering over.

Marmion then turned defender, providing a brilliant cover tackle on Olly Woodburn as the Chiefs closed in on the Bristol try-line. Home pressure was mounting and it resulted in Bristol lock Josh Caulfield seeing yellow.

He could only watch on as his former club exploited the numbers game out wide, Harvey Skinner spiralling a brilliant pass off his right hand to send Brown-Bampoe over for his first top-flight try.

The Bears response was swift, with Batley finishing off a pass from Benhard Janse Van Rensburg in the right corner.

England wing Feyi-Waboso hit back, picking up from the base of a ruck on the left touchline before stepping inside and shrugging off Janse Van Rensburg and Steven Luatua to score under the posts.

Second Half

Hodge, who slotted the extras to that try, then extended his side’s with a second penalty following a high tackle by Bristol prop Max Lahiff at the start of the second half.

Exeter lock Rus Tuima was held up on the line after some sustained pressure, before the lively Ross Vintcent threatened with a charging run through the Bears midfield.

Eventually Bristol’s resistance crumbled as the Chiefs hit them with two tries in four minutes.

Brown-Bampoe claimed the first, scorching down the right from a pass by Argentine debutant Franco Molina; then Feyi-Waboso followed him over, intercepting a pass from AJ MacGinty.

But the Bears proved they are a different breed this season and in a remarkable fightback, aided by a needless yellow card for Exeter replacement hooker Dan Frost, they clawed their way back from 20 points down to take the lead with three tries in as many minutes.

Oghre started it off, slipping his way through two missed tackles to score, then Ibitoye helped himself to a quick-fire double, the second leaving prop Will Goodrick-Clarke and flyhalf Skinner clutching at thin air.

The natives were in a state of shock, silenced by the Bristol revival, but they had reason to cheer with six minutes remaining as Hodge stroked them back in front with a third penalty.

The drama was far from over and it was Ibitoye who crucially landed the telling blow, the winger claiming his hat-trick in the dying embers as he raced clear off a Harry Randall pass to seal their success.