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Premiership: Bristol Bears complete remarkable comeback against Exeter


Bristol Bears celebrate Dan Thomas’ injury-time try that sent them top of the Premiership table
Gallagher Premiership
Exeter (17) 17
Tries: S Simmonds, White Cons: J Simmonds 2 Pen: J Simmonds
Bristol (0) 20
Tries: O’Conor, Thomas Cons: Sheedy 2 Pens: Sheedy 2

Dan Thomas’ injury-time try completed a remarkable second-half turnaround as Bristol came from 17-0 down to beat Exeter to go top of the Premiership.

Thomas touched down with the clock in the red as Bristol scored 20 unanswered points to take victory at Sandy Park.

Exeter dominated the first period and had a commanding half-time lead after tries from Sam Simmonds and Nic White.

But Piers O’Conor’s try and the boot of Callum Sheedy reduced the gap to four before Thomas’ dramatic late winner.

Exeter started the game strongly with Stuart Hogg and returning England centre Henry Slade prominent with ball in hand.

Slade was stopped short after an excellent scything run before the ball was recycled to Simmonds who crashed over for the opening try after 15 minutes.

Australia scrum-half White added a second six minutes later after spotting a gap in the Bears defence and darting past hooker Harry Thacker.

Scottish international Stuart Hogg was prominent as the Chiefs went into half-time leading 17-0

Joe Simmonds converted both to maintain his 100 per cent kicking ratio in this year’s Premiership.

A Sheedy penalty after 42 minutes got Bristol on the scoreboard, before 15-cap All Black Steven Luatua made an excellent try-saving tackle on Exeter’s Alex Cuthbert.

Sheedy’s second penalty came after 59 minutes and Chiefs scrum-half White was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on a minute later, as Bristol’s confidence grew.

Their first try came after a good offload from Nathan Hughes to winger Luke Morahan, who beat Jack Nowell for pace and passed inside for O’Conor to cross.

As the clock ticked down, an Exeter infringement allowed Bristol to kick into the corner and set up a drive from the line-out.

The drive rumbled over the line and referee Karl Dickson consulted the television match official before ruling that Thomas had grounded the ball and sent Bristol top of the table going into the European break.

Exeter: Hogg; O’Flaherty, Slade, S Hill, Cuthbert; J Simmonds, White; Hepburn, Yeandle (capt), Williams, Kirsten, J Hill, Vermeulen, Kvesic, S Simmonds

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Keast, Street, Lonsdale, Armand, Maunder, Steenson, Nowell

Bristol: C Piutau; Morahan, Hurrell, S Piutau, O’Conor; Sheedy, Randall; Woolmore, Thacker, Afoa, Attwood, Vui, Luatua (capt), Heenan, Hughes.

Replacements: Capon, Y Thomas, Thiede, Holmes, D Thomas, Uren, Lloyd, Fricker.

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)



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