Bristol Bears beat Exeter Chiefs 18-14 at Ashton Gate on Saturday in Round Three of the 2025/26 Gallagher PREM
Fitz Harding of Bristol offloads the ball under pressure from Paul Brown-Bampoe of Exeter Chiefs (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Bristol Bears earned a hard-fought 18-14 win over Exeter Chiefs on Saturday as a Tom Jordan red card added more concern to the home side’s chronic back-line availability.
It was a gritty performance from the Bears, who played the game with 14 men for 30 minutes after Tom Jordan earned a 20-minute red card for a dangerous tackle on Ross Vincent.
Bristol scored the first try of the game as number eight Viliame Mata ran it in from thirty metres out. However, Exeter bounced straight back as Henry Slade scored after a Ross Vintcent line break. Ben Hammersley then scored a lovely try in the 34th minute with a ‘show and go’ allowing him to stroll under the sticks, which meant Exeter went in 14-8 up at the break.
A try from an attacking maul then saw Gabriel Oghre get over the whitewash in the 56th minute, putting Bristol 15-14 up. The last 20m minutes was pure Chiefs attack, and through pure muscle and physicality, Bristol survived. Sam Worsley knocked over a 45-metre penalty in the 80th minute to put the final score at Bristol 18-14 Exeter to cap a gutsy performance at Ashton Gate from the home side.
Rugby writer Harry Papworth takes a closer look at the individual performances from the Bristol Bears players…
15. Benjamin Elizalde – 7
The Argentine was awarded a crucial penalty in his own 22 after getting his hands on the ball in a ruck. He also looked dangerous with ball in hand. However, it was his knock on which led to Exeter’s first try and he still looks lightweight in defence.
14. Josh Carrington – N/A
The young winger went off in the eighth minute after a nasty knock to the head. Another blow to Bristol’s injury crisis in the backs.
13. Jack Bates – 5
On his injury return, he knocked forward a huge try-scoring opportunity from a Jordan grubber kick in the early exchanges of the game. Bates Left the field in the 45th minute for a HIA and did not return after setting off the sensor in his gum shield.
12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg – 8
The South African was at the heart of the Bears defence today, putting in some great shots. Attacking-wise, he carried hard and straight to the line, putting life into the Bears attack. He also made the crucial jackal turnover in the 76th minute which made the Bristol fans erupt.
11. Kalaveti Ravouvou – 7
The winger looked threatening with ball in hand. He didn’t see too much ball in the first half but did have a few carries in the second half, where he looked menacing.
10. Tom Jordan – 4
Jordan received a twenty-minute red card in the 30th minute for a dangerous tackle on Ross Vintcent which saw the end of his afternoon. In his 30 minutes of rugby, he was poor. He missed a kick to the corner early in the game which deflated the Bears attack. He also booted a free kick straight into touch, which gave the Chiefs attacking ball, another poor mistake. The fly-half did however put a great-looking grubber kick in behind the Chiefs defence which looked a certain try, but centre Jack Bates couldn’t regather the bouncing ball. Jordan is now likely to receive a ban, adding more concern in the backs department for Pat lam.
9. Kieran Marmion – 7
Marmion controlled the game from scrum-half, putting in some well-timed box kicks. His decision-making also seemed on point. He was versatile and had to defend on the wing, he didn’t look out of place.
1. Ellis Genge – 7
On his return to the Gallagher Prem, the prop had the beating of his opposite man Goodrick-Clarke at scrum-time, winning two penalties throughout the game. Carrying-wise, when he put pace onto the ball, he was a nightmare to stop. Genge was loose with his handling at times, with poor offloads and knock-ons creeping in to his game.
2. Gabriel Oghre – 8
The hooker scored a try in the 57th minute as he bundled over from a maul. In the first half, Oghre spotted a small gap on the fringes of a ruck and blasted through the middle, which eventually led to Mata’s try. He was also accurate when throwing at the lineout. An impressive performance from Oghre, who dug deep and did the dirty work, just like most of the Bristol pack.
3. George Kloska – 7
Kloska made some bruising tackles throughout the game and held his own at scrum time. A solid performance.
4. Pedro Rubiolo – 7
It was a proper locks’ performance from Rubiolo. Head down, pushing at ruck and scrum time, and faultless at the lineout.
5. Joe Batley – 7
A solid performance from the lock. As always, Batley did lots of the dirty work in the rucks and lineout. Defensively, he put in many dominant tackles.
6. Santiago Grondona – 7
The Argentine looked defensively strong and had an all-round solid performance on his return after being away with Argentina at The Rugby Championship, although he did get sold the dummy by Hammersley for the Exeter centre’s try.
7. Fitz Harding – 8
The captain conceded a penalty in the 4th minute for being off his feet at the ruck which gave Exeter a chance at three points, but Henry Slade dragged his attempt at goal wide. However, just a minute later he won a penalty from a technically excellent Jackal. Defensively, Harding was everywhere and as bruising as ever, leading his team well to a hard-earned win. Great to see him back fit after missing the Saracens game with a HIA.
8. Viliame Mata – 9
It was an incredible performance from Mata. He won a penalty in the tenth minute in a jackal, which put the Bears in an attacking position. The number eight then scored the first try in the 24th minute as he charged down the right wing and ran it in from 30 metres. He has some serious pace! He carried with determination and grit, which often got the Bears going forward.
Replacements
16. Harry Thacker – 6.
17. Jake Woolmore – 6.
18. Lovejoy Chawatama – 6.
19. James Dun – 7.
20. Joe Owen – N/A
21 Oscar Lennon – 6
Playing out of position, Lennon came on in the 45th minute after the 20-minute red card ended and instantly had a try scoring opportunity. The ball was given wide to him in space, and he got over the line, but the Chiefs defence managed to hold the ball up.
22. Sam Worsley – 8
The boot of Worsley eventually won Bears the game. He knocked over one conversion from out wide after Oghre’s try, and then in the 80th minute drilled one from 45m out, closing out the game. Worsley really stepped up to the plate.
23. Max Pepper – 5
Pepper got ten minutes in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on in the second half. He did not receive the ball much and was quiet after he replaced Josh Carrington on the wing in the 8th minute.