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It was déjà vu for the Exeter Chiefs, once again defeating Bristol Bears in a semi-final and moving within 80 minutes of retaining their Allianz Cup crown.
The Devonshire side continued their winning run, producing a professional performance against the Bears in testing conditions at a packed-out Shaftesbury Park.
With both sides missing a number of frontline stars due to international call-ups, it was Susie Appleby’s Chiefs who produced a tactical masterclass to take the win, setting up a Cup Final showdown against Saracens at Sandy Park next Sunday (1pm).
After a tight and tense opening forty, with both sides exchanging tries, the Chiefs found their rhythm in the second-half to pull away from their Westcountry rivals through some outstanding game management and defensive power.
It was the Bears who made the better of the early running, carrying powerfully into Chiefs territory, and looking fluid in attack. Lucy Burgess enjoyed an armchair ride at ruck time, and the quick ball proved hard for the visitors to deal with. It took only three minutes for Bristol to touch down for their first try of the match, a nice move from right to left sent full-back Amy Coles in to claim the opening points.
This Chiefs team haven’t won 13 on the bounce for nothing, and through the dominance of the forward pack, they began to assert themselves on the game. The back-row trio of Ebony Jefferies, Maisy Allen and Gabrielle Senft slowly working their way into the match with powerful, front-foot carrying that stressed the Bears defensive line.
Indeed, it was off the back of one such Senft carry that the visiting side struck back. The Canadian No.8 made 15 metres from the back of a scrum, before some quick recycling sent Danielle Preece powering over, under the Bears posts. Liv McGoverne knocked over the extras to give the Chiefs the lead.
Read the full article at the official Exeter Chiefs web site >>
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