Can Bristol Bears upset all the odds and hand Exeter Chiefs their first Premiership loss?

On Sunday afternoon, Bristol Bears will be entertaining top of the table Exeter Chiefs at Ashton Gate.

Nineteen points separate the two sides before kick-off, with newly promoted Bristol struggling in tenth spot with just two Premiership wins to their name so far.

Exeter head the table on points difference over Saracens, having already notched up six premiership victories.

The Bears go in to Sunday’s West Country derby on the back of some very encouraging Premiership Cup results having beaten Wasps at the Ricoh Arena 30-19 and recording a 31-12 win over Gloucester Rugby at Ashton Gate.
The worry for the hosts is their Gallagher Premiership form, despite opening up their campaign with a 17-10 victory against Bath, the Bears have only picked up one more victory since, a 20-13 win over Harlequins back in September.

Bristol have also conceded the most points so far in the Premiership with 199 and aside from Sale have scored the least amount of points 120.

Chiefs in contrast are riding on a crest of a wave having won all six of their opening Premiership fixtures. Exeter have already beaten Bath, Worcester, Newcastle, Sale, Wasps and Leicester, with their only defeat in all competitions at the hands of Castres in Europe.

Earlier this week Exeter showed their intent to rule over the Premiership by securing the services of Scotland and British Lions full-back Stuart Hogg. The 26-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the Chiefs, and will join from Glasgow Warriors at the start of next season

In the meantime Exeter will have to contend without the services of Hogg, but overall should prove far too strong for Bristol.

The match will be shown on NBC SN and Sports Gold

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