Bristol Buried
Sandy Park
By ExTeddChief
August 27 2013
Bristol will be hoping their next visit to Sandy Park will be better than this pre-season outing against the Chiefs
Bristol Buried
I generally like Bristol. I was actually born in the city(though I never really lived there), my sister lived there back in the 90s and two of her kids were born there. Circa ’93 it also happened to be where I watched my first club rugby match, a friendly between Bristol and Clifton which Bristol won. Back then, they were a heavyweight side best I could tell.
Fast forward to the 2009/10 season though and Bristol were falling on hard times. Relegated to the Championship, they assumed it was a blip, and were determined to get back to the top flight at the first time of asking by going all out to finish top of the regular season table. Slight problem, promotion into the Premiership was now decided by playoffs. In the playoff final they faced the Chiefs in a two legged tie. You know the rest.
Since that fateful day in May 2010, Bristol haven’t come close to getting back into the Premiership. I was surprised when I heard they’d be coming down to Sandy Park for a friendly. We never really had time to develop a long term rivalry with them and they were unlikely to give us a match now. Still, my grandfather wanted to check the encounter out and I decided I might as well join him.
It was wierd heading to Sandy Park at this time of year. I hadn’t really expected to see the Chiefs in action before my trip to the European basketball championships in Slovenia in September. Still, it was good to be back, nice and warm, bit of a breeze, and plenty of new players to check out. After the Red Arrows paid us a visit it was time to rumble.
Well Bristol were the first side on the attack but their early efforts came to nothing and the Chiefs promptly surged forward themselves, it was only going to be a matter of time before we scored and Slade did the honours with a pen. Not long after that the Chiefs surged forward, the ball touched the posts and Ben White claimed the credit, Slade converting.
After that it was pretty much a Chiefs show with Slade getting a try himself but after that I have to give some credit to Bristol whose defence was able to keep our guys out. The Bath fan in a Chiefs shirt beside me was particularly impressed with their effort given that his guys caned Bristol last week. The Championship side weren’t going to keep the Chiefs out forever though. First up, Fetu’u Vainikolo welcome to Exeter. Give this guy space and he will burn you up. TJ and Whitten soon joined the party with the Bristol defence falling apart.
Half time was time for us to grab a beer and split a hog roast. The Chiefs had been attacking at our end(SW Comms) for the first half and we weren’t expecting to see much action in the second half.
Sure enough, for the early stages of the second half we round up having to rely on the big screen. We thought we’re gotten an early try in the far left corner but...not quite. Once again Bristol were proving to be a stubborn bunch defensively but eventually the Chiefs broke through for another try, Slade doing the business.
The Chiefs still weren’t done though and again we pressed for another try and it was Academy graduate Stu Townsend that wound up joining the party.
It would have been nice to keep a clean sheet but we did wind up seeing some action as Bristol came down our end and it now seemed inevitable that they would get a try. Sure enough, this guy Fat’ua Otta who the Bath fan seemed to rate, did the honours, Tristan Roberts converting.
My grandfather still wanted us to hit the 50 mark though and he got his wish in the end, another new guy Tom James came up with some impressive footwork, lobbing the Bristol defence before setting up Jess to finish the visitors off, Ceri Sweeney converting.
A good day for Chiefs old and new, though ultimately a light appestiser for what I’ll be watching when I get back from Slovenia in September!
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Quote:Smell Wee McBag
Bristol are a truly great club who have fallen on hard times. It'll be a few years before the word "great" can be used around Exeter. That is meant respectfully and with realism.
I personally think Exeter is a great club already. Please explain why Bristol is a truly great club as I'm a bit stoopid
Time for a pipe of Old Toby!
1) Consistently and for many years being at the very top of the game (bonus points for having recognised multiple years of dominance)
2) Consistently and for many years having produced world class quality players (I take it you have never heard of Percy Down, Len Corbett, Sam Tucker, Alan Morley, Mike Rafter, Bob Hesford, Dave Rollitt, John Blake, etc.)
3) Consistently and for many years having been amongst the best supported clubs in the country
I think we can all agree that Bristol have had a tough last decade but greatness isn't measured in five or ten year bursts. It also doesn't guarantee future greatness, that lies in the decisions that will be made by Steve Lansdown, but on this basis I'm sure you agree with Bristol's case to be a great club.
We may never get there, but I do not think we think we are better than we actually are.
You are joking, aren't you?
Bristol have won many, many more games against Bath than Bath have against Bristol! Apart from the 1990s Bath have never enjoyed a period of dominance against Bristol.
The Bristol v Gloucester record is in Gloucester's favour but by a very small margin indeed.
"Finished 3rd once". Do your horizons cease at 2007? That's not very long ago at all. Greatness, I'd suggest has to be proved through consistency over much longer timescales. Liverpool FC are a great club, Blackburn Rovers are not, no matter if they won the league more recently.
Quote:Smell Wee McBag
"They have always been in the shadow of their near neighbours Bath and Gloucester".
You are joking, aren't you?
Bristol have won many, many more games against Bath than Bath have against Bristol! Apart from the 1990s Bath have never enjoyed a period of dominance against Bristol.
The Bristol v Gloucester record is in Gloucester's favour but by a very small margin indeed.
"Finished 3rd once". Do your horizons cease at 2007? That's not very long ago at all. Greatness, I'd suggest has to be proved through consistency over much longer timescales. Liverpool FC are a great club, Blackburn Rovers are not, no matter if they won the league more recently.
With the greatest respect I think you've had one too many Sir!
Time for a pipe of Old Toby!
Quote:Smell Wee McBag
With the greatest of respect that is unnecessarily insulting, and (in addition) on a point of fact you haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about.
Insulting.....really? I thought I was being whimsical
The Bristol players you mention are before my time but were of England standard albeit some years ago. Bristol were a good club some years ago but have fallen by the wayside(this obviously hurts you as you are passionate about your club)
With sugar daddy's money they may return to 'The Promised Land' but in fairness and reality on the performance shown on Saturday that doesn't look promising.
Bristol were poor, very poor...it hurts as it would me if it were Exeter.
As to the support.....didn't see too many at Sandy Park in the play off final first leg and it looked like there was half of Exeter at Bristol in the second leg!!
Still, I wish you well. Exeter may never achieve greatness, in fairness I don't care if they don't, I like many others are just enjoying the ride
Time for a pipe of Old Toby!
Quote:Smell Wee McBag
"They have always been in the shadow of their near neighbours Bath and Gloucester".
You are joking, aren't you?
Bristol have won many, many more games against Bath than Bath have against Bristol! Apart from the 1990s Bath have never enjoyed a period of dominance against Bristol.
The Bristol v Gloucester record is in Gloucester's favour but by a very small margin indeed.
"Finished 3rd once". Do your horizons cease at 2007? That's not very long ago at all. Greatness, I'd suggest has to be proved through consistency over much longer timescales. Liverpool FC are a great club, Blackburn Rovers are not, no matter if they won the league more recently.
I like this guy he is funny... Ill informed but funny!
I don't think the point about Bristol being in the shadow of bath/Gloucester was meant as a direct head to head in terms of whonhas won more against each other. More as an overall assessment of the 3 clubs success, as judged by the cups in the trophy cabinate......of which bath and Gloucester have fare fare more than Bristol have.
I would suggest bath and Gloucester are Great clubs, and will always be.
I would suggest we as the chiefs fans do indeed regard our club as a great one but with small "g" at the moment. It is great to us. Although in our short time in the top flight I believe others have grown to also see our little devon club as great.
Bristol will seem great to their own supporters, which is fantastic. But with out your Bristol coloured glasses on even mr mcbag must see that to think they are even close to Bath and Gloucester is quite frankly tripe!
I have two things to say to that. Firstly, to avoid any accusations of arrogance, you'll note that my very post asserted that past greatness is no guarantor of future success or divine right to that success.
Secondly, if you really think that Bristol have been consistently second fiddle to Bath and Gloucester then you are rather massively ill informed, historically ignorant or very, very stupid indeed. I hope for your sake it's not the latter!
I suggest that you acquaint yourself with at least some passing knowledge of the history of the game in this country. Your last post suggests you no nothing about it at all.
Unless you are having a laugh.
Your a funny man Wee and I think your 
for bites.
Do us a favour and take your Bristol goggles off and go get some
Time for a pipe of Old Toby!
)
The simple fact is, Bristol have won very little compared to Bath or Gloucester.
A simple look on the clubs websites will tell you this.
I may not have been around in the 50's 60's and 70's or indeed have much knowledge of rugby pre 90's, however the wonderful thing about the Internet is you are able to reaserch things at the click of a button. And that tells me all I need to know, I would quote all the cups/titles both Gloucester and Bath have won...but the list would be too long and people would get board before they got to the few that Bristol have from the dim and distant past.
I hope Mr Bags head is ok this morning!
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013:08:28:08:11:32 by Little big chief.
But on this basis against Gloucester played 18, G won 14 Bristol won 4
Against Bath, played 18, Bath won 10, Bristol won 7 and drawn 1.
i presume the records prior to this date exist but in my 5 minute look i couldn't find them.
i know Exe's results aren't too good either, especially against bath.