Rugby / Bristol Bears
Bristol seal double in rain-soaked West Country showdown
Bristol Bears clinched a hard-fought victory in a stormy, rain-soaked West Country showdown against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.
Having already secured their places in European competition, both sides went into the fixture as their final outing before the Guinness Six Nations kicks off in February.
It was far from free-flowing rugby, instead producing a wet, slippery and at times aesthetically ugly contest, with seasoned campaigners from both teams forcing errors in the unforgiving conditions.
The home side opened the scoring when Henry Slade slotted a penalty from 25 metres to give Exeter an early lead.
Undeterred by the conditions, Bristol Bears pushed hard and were rewarded four minutes before half-time when Noah Heward held onto a long pass from Louis Rees-Zammit, who zig-zagged through the Chiefs’ defence to create the opportunity. However, Tom Jordan’s conversion attempt drifted wide.
Steven Luatua and Gabriel Ibitoye made their long-awaited returns from injury, adding further impetus to the visitors’ performance.
Bristol went into the break holding a 5 to 3 lead, and despite a revitalised Chiefs surge after half-time, the Bears’ defence held firm.
Early in the second half, Slade missed a long-range opportunity to regain the lead, pushing a 49-metre penalty wide, much to the relief of the Bears.
In what became a tense, low-scoring encounter, the decisive moment arrived two minutes before the final whistle. As the clock ticked into the final minute, Jimmy Williams kept his nerve to slot a penalty after Janse van Rensburg capitalised on a Chiefs’ error.
Don’t underestimate that LRZ pass in these conditions 😮💨@NoahHeward over in the corner at Sandy Park 🌊
✖️ 3-5 🐻 (48 mins)#EXEvBRI | #BristolBears pic.twitter.com/TqfezffSs0
— Bristol Bears 🐻 (@BristolBears) January 24, 2026
The 8 – 3 victory sealed Bristol Bears’ fifth consecutive win in the Gallagher Premiership, sending them into the Six Nations break with strong momentum and firmly among the league’s leaders.
The result also inflicted Exeter’s first home defeat of the season and, more importantly, Bristol Bears completed a double over their West Country rivals.
Main photo: Bristol Bears
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