Exeter v Bristol: Five takeaways as Ellis Genge ‘epitomises’ belligerent Bears while the ‘good and bad’ of Louis Rees-Zammit on show
Bristol Bears stars Ellis Genge and Louis Rees-Zammit.
Following an 8-3 victory for Bristol Bears over Exeter Chiefs, here are our five takeaways from the Gallagher PREM encounter at Sandy Park on Saturday.
The top line
Bristol secured a priceless victory in the hunt for a play-off spot and also inflicted Exeter’s first home defeat of the season with a battling victory over their West Country rivals.
As they say, it was very much one for the purists as the conditions made it remarkably difficult to string either passes or phases together. It was a case of who would execute the fundamentals better, and, in the end, it was Bristol that did just that.
Exeter were against the wind in the first half, but, despite that, Henry Slade opened the scoring with a penalty. However, the Bears would go into the second period in the lead when Noah Heward touched down in the corner.
That scored was to prove crucial in the second period as the visitors battled a fired-up Chiefs, as well as the elements. For most of that final 40 minutes, play was camped in the Bristol half, but Pat Lam’s men remained resolute and would confirm a superb PREM win through James Williams’ three-pointer.
Scrappy from the entertainers
These two teams are renowned for their ability to move the ball. Bristol, in particular, are probably the most adventurous team in England, and potentially Europe, but this game was all about knuckling down and doing the hard yards.
Conditions were abysmal as the rain swept in and made the ball incredibly slippery. With the pitch also becoming a boggy mess, it made it almost impossible for free-flowing rugby, which was a shame considering both sides like to chance their arm.
On paper, it should have suited Exeter more. Their back-row Tom Hooper, Ethan Roots and Greg Fisilau are very happy to truck it up the middle, while they will also do plenty of work defensively. They also had an extra decision-maker in the backline thanks to the inclusion of Will Haydon-Wood alongside fellow playmakers Harvey Skinner and Henry Slade in the backline.
But in truth, Skinner and Slade never really grabbed control of the game, with their kicking game faltering and letting the Bears off the hook. The Bears also displayed their resilience, defending superbly against the wind in the second period…
Another side to Bristol
For all the brilliance of Lam’s side in attack, you do not win titles without a set-piece or defence, and when it comes to the end-of-season shake-up, these are the games which could define their season.
Ellis Genge is one of the best props in the world, with the previous couple of years elevating him to that level, but he has stepped it up another notch in 2025/26. The loosehead has been quite exceptional, and he epitomised their effort at Sandy Park. Usually known for his bullocking runs, there was little of it that on Saturday, but what he did do was scrummage superbly and be utterly relentless in defence.
He was not the only one. Fitz Harding once again demonstrated that he was incredibly unlucky to miss out on the England squad, while Gabriel Oghre, another to suffer international misfortune, was everywhere in the loose, despite the odd lineout wobble.
Ultimately, we are not sure whether Bristol’s game plan can win big titles, but if you marry their brilliant attack with this type of endeavour and execution of the fundamentals, they will be genuine challengers in the PREM this season.
The good and bad of Louis Rees-Zammit
The Wales star has played mostly at full-back this season, but he hasn’t had a game like this one, where conditions dictated the importance of the high ball. Most struggled in fairness, but Rees-Zammit made a plethora of errors, which put his side under pressure.
Exeter continually kicked the ball down his throat, and the speedster constantly coughed up possession. Even under pressure, the ball was like a bar of soap for the talented Welshman, who will hope it won’t be quite as yet or muddy when the Six Nations comes around.
That was the bad, but now for the good. Rees-Zammit is such a wonderfully gifted player that even in games where the weather limits his influence with ball in hand, he still manages to make a significant impact. The only try of the match was a classic example as he stepped out of one tackle and left several defenders trailing in his wake before firing out a lovely pass for Heward to score.
And then in the second period, as the game was inching towards its denouement, he collected the ball under pressure, sped down the left and forced Exeter to clear their lines. Granted, the subsequent clearance from the Chiefs was spilled by Rees-Zammit, which rather summed up his mixed game, but those positive moments were vital in Bristol winning the game.
England watch
With the squad now named, Steve Borthwick was no doubt hoping that players would get through unscathed and in this game at least, he seemed to get his wish. It is already confirmed that Will Stuart and Asher Opoku-Fordjour will miss the whole of the Six Nations, while five other players are a doubt and will continue their rehab in Girona, so the head coach wouldn’t want any further injury concerns.
In terms of performances from the England players, it was a mixed bag, however. Genge was phenomenal, and there was plenty to like about Fisilau’s display, whose hands were more solid than the other players in difficult conditions, but in the backline, it was a game to forget for both Slade and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
The centre kicked the Chiefs’ only points but there were some key errors from the experienced international. As for Feyi-Waboso, the weather made it difficult for him to get into the game, while it was difficult for all the back three players in the air.