Bristol Bears player ratings from Exeter Chiefs win - 'In a rich vein of form'

Bristol Bears beat Exeter Chiefs 40-35 at Sandy Park on Saturday in Round Four of the 2024/24 Gallagher Premiership

Bristol Bears snatched a 40-35 victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to a late eight-minute hat-trick from Gabriel Ibitoye to deliver their first win over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park since 2021.

The Bears looked dead and buried as Chiefs wingers Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Paul Brown-Bampoe scored two tries apiece to put second-from-bottom Exeter 32-12 up with 18 minutes remaining and on the verge of their first win of the season. But a hugely costly yellow card for replacement hooker Dan Frost four minutes later, for stopping a tap penalty being taken quickly, saw Bristol score 28 points while he was off the pitch, running in four converted tries, with Ibitoye getting three of them and Gabriel Oghre the other after Kieran Marmion and Joe Batley had crossed in the first half. AJ MacGinty added 10 points with the boot, converting five of the six tries scored by the Bears. Chiefs full-back Josh Hodge notched 15 points from three successful penalties and three of his four conversion attempts.

READ MORE: Exeter Chiefs 35-40 Bristol Bears LIVE: Reaction and highlights from Sandy Park

South West rugby writer John Evely takes a closer look at the individual performances of the Bristol Bears players…

15. Rich Lane - 7

Brought into the side to replace the Gallagher Premiership September Player of the Month Max Malins, who suffered a knee injury in the win against Bath, the former Bedford star showed his value as a squad man as he excelled at full-back and even outshone his talked-up opposite number, Josh Hodge. As the last line of defence, Lane saved a couple of tries, using his pace to get back and stop Olly Woodburn following a dangerous break through the middle and then getting into the passing lane to intercept an offload from Harvey Skinner just a metre out from his own try line. He did get beaten by Brown-Bampoe for Exeter’s first try with the Bears defence sucked too narrow but was a bright spark in attack throughout, weaving his way up-field in the second half following a missed kick to touch.

14. Jack Bates - 7

The academy graduate looked at home in the Bears backline after being drafted in following a run of injuries. His quick feet meant he repeatedly skipped beyond attempted tacklers and made inroads with the ball in hand.

13. Joe Jenkins - 7

The centre came up with a try-saving tackle on Harvey Skinner midway through the first half and showed great skill to take a pass behind him from Bates to keep the attacking move alive in the build-up to Ibitoye’s first try. Making the first of what could be a run of starts, he never got exposed.

12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg - 9

Moving over to 12 in the absence of the injured Jimmy Williams, the South Africa was prodigious in his work rate, which started from the very first tackle of the game after 10 seconds. Janse van Rensburg really does have it all, with the power to run over people but deft hands, and it was a quick pass out to Batley who was hugging the right touchline which created the break for the Bears to score their second try of the match and complete a sumptuous globetrotter attack that started in their own half. He suffered the ignominy of getting handed off by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for the England man’s first try as he tried to make a recovery tackle, but made up for it by doing the unthinkable and holding up giant lock Rusi Tuima after he had powered over the try-line and the gave a defence splintering offload to Ibitoye for his second try during the impressive late comeback. The proto-type of the perfect modern-day rugby player.

11. Gabriel Ibitoye - 9

The winger’s finishing ability smashed the game to pieces in the second half with an eight-minute hat-trick to win the contest and earn him the Player of the Match award from TNT Sport. The first was about game awareness, running onto a clever kick over the top on the angle from MacGinty. The second was about footwork, taking a brilliant one-handed offload from Janse van Rensburg before stepping Harvey Skinner in a phone box to be able to run in from 70m. The third was about speed, rinsing the covering defence to score from inside his own half.

England head coach Steve Borthwick simply has to be taking a close look at Ibitoye because he can do it all

10. AJ MacGinty - 9

Playing like a matador who seemed to countlessly step out of the way of bullish on-rushing tackles from Exeter defence, the USA international danced his way through the Chiefs time after time with his best moment coming as he fooled England hopeful Greg Fisilau, burst through the gap he created and then calmly looked up to poke a kick into the empty back-field for Ibitoye to chase and gather on the bounce for the first of his three tries. Despite conceding an interception that led to a try for Feyi-Waboso, MacGinty is in a gloriously rich vein of form.

9. Kieran Marmion - 8

Handed a rare start with Harry Randall having been away with England for most of the week, the Irish international continued to maintain his impressive strike rate as he ran in the first try of the game, running a supporting line inside Joe Batley to take the lock’s pass and race in.

1. Jake Woolmore - 6

The loosehead prop got beaten by Feyi-Waboso around the edge of a ruck for the winger's first try, but held up in the scrum and showed some nice handling in the loose.

2. Gabriel Oghre - 8

The hooker conceded a daft early penalty going for the ball while off his feet to allow Exeter to open their account through the boot of Hodge but he more than made up with it with a spectacular running display which reached a crescendo with a brilliant individual try just moments after his opposite number Frost was shown a yellow card. Oghre ran an outstanding line back towards the ruck to beat the off balance first two attempted tacklers, then he handed off Will Goodrick-Clarke and showed impressed speed to pull away from Harvey Skinner to touch down under the posts. Working his way back into England contention.

3. Max Lahiff - 6

The loosehead was harshly penalised for an unnecessary high tackle on Josh Hodge as he came in as the second man in a two man tackle. Hodge got back to his feet to land a long-range penalty following the offence. Solid in the scrum despite being under pressure.

4. Josh Caulfield - 7

The lock was incredibly harshly yellow carded for ‘running in the passing lane’ as he tried to get back onside following a break down the middle by Olly Woodburn, but made amends with a potentially game winning turnover in the 81st minute with Exeter bearing down on the try line.

5. Joe Batley - 9

The lock had an outstanding day as a running threat as he terrorised the tramlines, breaking down the left to set-up Marmion for the opening try and then waiting patiently for the pass from Janse van Rensburg to get his own five pointer. Now an absolutely vital player in this Bears side.

6. Steven Luatua - 8

Sporting a scrum-cap, the New Zealander showed some silky smooth hands to stress the Exeter defence and twice his passing build-up play was instrumental to Bristol breaking the line, leading to tries for Marmion and Batley. Replaced at half time.

7. Santiago Grondona - 7

The Argentina international failed to reach the heights of his debut last weekend against Bath when he was named player of the match, but he was a constant thorn in Exeter’s side, with scrum-half Sam Maunder being rushed and harried all day.

8. Fitz Harding - 8

The captain was everywhere on the pitch as the link man to the Bristol attack and it was his quick hands that released Joe Batley to create the overlap for the opening try of the match. His famous engine was revving until the last seconds of the gladiatorial contest.

Replacements:

16. Will Capon - 6

17. Ellis Genge - 7

18. George Kloska - 5

19. James Dun - 7

20. Benjamin Grondona - 6

21. Harry Randall - 8

22. Sam Worsley - N/A

23. Benjamin Elizalde - 5