Bristol Bears suffered their first competitive defeat of the 2022/23 season on Wednesday night, albeit in the Premiership Rugby Cup, as a more experienced Exeter Chiefs side run out 20-35 victors at Ashton Gate.
Both sides recorded attacking bonus points with outside centre Joe Jenkins dotting down a brace of tries while Tom Whiteley and Harry Rowsen also crossed the whitewash for the Bears.
While all of Bristol’s tries came from the backs, four of Exeter’s five scores came from the forwards with lock Lewis Pearson recording a brace, one from openfield and another from a maul. The Chiefs maul proved a deadly rugby weapon as it also delivered skipper Jack Innard over the line and earned a penalty try for illegal collasping by the Bears.
