I’m not happy – we let the crowd down, admits coach Lam

Pat Lam said the Ashton Gate crowd had been let down.

“That's the hardest thing, at the end of the day we play for our crowd and I'm disappointed for them,” the Bristol DoR said. “I'm pleased so many showed up but that's not good enough for our crowd.

“I'm not happy. All we can do is regroup and go again next week. A lot of it was chances we didn't take. Exeter had a few and they took them.”

Exeter head coach Ali Hepher praised two-try winger Olly Woodburn and said he was an example to others.

“Olly is working hard and he has got himself in the best condition I've ever seen him in,” he said. “It's paying off and it's a lesson to everyone. If you get yourself in excellent nick it feeds into your performance.

“He's right up there at the moment.”

Explaining his decision to select Richard Capstick ahead of Sam Simmonds, Hepher said: “Sam has a little niggle that we need to look after but it was more that Cappers has been fantastic. He is starting to patch up the deficiencies in his game. He is a talent. He is big, good in the lineout and scores tries too.”