Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs vs Bath – Premiership Match Report

Exeter Chiefs kept their Premiership Rugby Cup hopes alive with an enthralling 25-18 victory over south west rivals Bath in testing conditions at Sandy Park.

Both teams made a raft of changes from their full-strength line ups with Joe Simmonds, moved to fullback for this game, and Ollie Devoto arguably the only starters who would be considered regular fixtures in the Chiefs line up this season. Bath meanwhile looked to bring some experience into their starting line up with Welsh legend Jamie Roberts starting at inside centre.

Both teams made a raft of changes with many key men on international duty

Bath started the game brightly putting the hosts under early pressure. With the wind against them it was difficult for the Chiefs to kick out from defence. After some nice offloads and an offensive move straight off the training ground, Bath were able to win a penalty right under the posts after four minutes, fly half Alex Davies having no issues slotting the ball between the posts.

That seemed to kick the hosts into life as they then put in a sustained spell of pressure on the Bath defence. Driving mauls led to Bath conceding a number of penalties and with-it territory as the Chiefs began to smell blood. After ten minutes of exceptionally resilient defence from the forwards, Exeter managed to break through and score their first try of the game. Changing tactics, the Chiefs decided to play through the backs, with quick hands, now a mainstay of their play, proving too much for the Bath defence to handle as a looping pass from Ollie Devoto found James Short on the left wing to brilliantly power home. The wind made the conversion from Joe Simmonds difficult as he missed short-left giving the Chiefs a 5-3 lead after 17 minutes.

THE SPEED WITH WHICH EXETER MOVED THE BALL ACROSS THE BACK LINE PROVED TOO MUCH FOR BATH

A ragged and at times sloppy passage of play ensued, as Bath failed to find touch with a number of kicks, notably Tom O’Flaherty doing well in one instance to leap like a salmon whilst over the touch line to keep the ball alive. A number of handling errors from Bath and the Chiefs saw possession bounce between either side in the middle of the park as the teams battled to try and gain some control of the play. After 31 minutes came a crucial moment in the match with Bath’s Lucas Noguera given a yellow card after a scrum incident. This moment came as no surprise after ample warning from the referee over Bath’s ill-discipline in a first half that saw them concede an astonishing 10 penalties.

The Chiefs were able to use their man advantage to create an overlap and break through the Bath defence with Ollie Devoto crossing over and Simmonds converting, this time from a much friendlier angle. Bath knew they needed a quick response to keep them in the game, and that they managed when Ross Batty crossed over after a number of phases from the Bath forwards ultimately proved too much for a tiring Exeter defence. Alex Davies missed the resulting conversion leaving the half time score 12-8 to the Chiefs.

Both teams came out firing early in the second half with the Chiefs gaining an early three points from a Joe Simmonds penalty. This was quickly followed by Tom O’Flaherty crossing over in the corner after another clever move from the Chiefs backs from the base of an attacking scrum, giving Exeter a 22-8 lead. Bath, however, were not to be disheartened and again began to build up some momentum which ultimately led to Jack Wilson scoring his first try of the game after Fotuali’i and Darren Atkins had done well to draw in the Chiefs defence.

DESPITE EXETER’S COMFORTABLE LEAD, BATH NEVER FALTERED IN THEIR EFFORTS

A large number of substitutions from both sides broke up play for a short time before Bath again began to establish their dominance on the ball against a tiring Exeter defence. Max Clark, on for Jamie Roberts, looked particularly dangerous as he found a quick step and burst of pace on 70 minutes to breach the Chiefs defence as Wilhem Van Der Sluys picked up a yellow in his efforts to stop what looked a certain try. With the Chiefs having to play the rest of the game a man down, Bath seemed to find a second wind as they used their man advantage to again find Jack Wilson free on the right wing to power over for his second of the game. This led to a comical moment in the game, in his rush to move proceedings on swiftly, Alex Davies decided to drop kick his conversion attempt from wide right, only for the ball to get no more than 2m off the floor and swerve far left, perhaps too eager as this left Bath 22-18 down, and needing another try with five minutes left on the clock.

With two minutes left Fotuali’i’s box-kick was superbly charged down by Chiefs man Onehunga Kaufusi, keeping Bath penned into their own 10 as they desperately searched for a late try. This ultimately led to a Chiefs penalty which Harvey Skinner had no trouble slotting between the posts to give the Chiefs a well-deserved, hard fought 25-18 victory.

MATCH REPORT: Exeter Chiefs 10-10 Munster

Chiefs’ European campaign underway after gutsy draw with disciplined Munster side

Dan Angel and Harry Scott-Munro report from Sandy Park as the Chiefs draw 10-10 with Munster.

A low-scoring, yet enthralling affair took place at Sandy Park took place this afternoon as Exeter Chiefs and Munster Rugby saw out a 10-10 draw to start their respective Heineken Cup campaigns. Aside from small passages of switching pressure, both halves seemed to mirror each other, with the Chiefs dominating the early and closing exchanges, and Munster wrestling back control in the mid-points of each half. This seemed fitting, given the evident difficulty to sustain momentum due to the exceedingly blustery conditions. In the end, a low-scoring draw was a fitting result between to evenly matched and physical teams, with a strew of handling errors and misplaced lineouts from both sides halting any fluid attacks from either side.

The first half began with Munster looking to impose themselves physically on the game with a series of hard carries from eventual Man of the Match, Tadhg Beirne and the ever-industrious CJ Stander providing an attacking platform. The Chief’s half-backs were particularly tested from early on with a series of box kicks, but the game centred on strong defence around the breakdown. Early signs seemed to show an emerging dominance in Munster’s pack, who forced the Chief’s into committing a couple of holding penalties in attack, stifling some promising line breaks from the likes of Exeter’s Henry Slade. Chiefs though, through the strength of their tight 5, hauled themselves back into the match with a series of scrum penalties. The abrasive carries of Don Armand in tandem with his back-row partner Dave Ewers looked to help Exeter finally secure a solid foothold in the match. However, as seemed to become an increasingly frustrating pattern, Exeter coughed up possession from a poor line out, something Baxter was quick to comment on post-match. Despite that, the Exeter Chiefs’ head coach preferred to focus on the positives of how the team dealt with the difficult conditions, crediting both teams on “a hard-fought draw”.

Both Steenson and Carbery exchanged penalties before a spell of sustained Chiefs pressure in Munster’s 22 finally told in the 39th minute as Luke Cowan-Dickie bundled over, after a series of strong pick and drives from the Chiefs forwards. The only notable moment of contention came when Andrew Conway appeared to lead with an elbow into Gareth Steenson following the conversion. Exeter might feel hard done by as the referee, Jerome Garces felt Conway was committed and elected to not penalise the Munster winger despite the strong appeals from the Sandy Park faithful.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with Munster dominating the opening phases, this time playing with the wind. Fly half Joey Carbery orchestrated his troops with the ease that has seen him become the heir apparent to Johnny Sexton’s Ireland jersey. His control and ease with which he moved the ball was a joy to watch, with captain Peter O’Mahony and former Sale Sharks fullback Mike Haley running a string of beautiful lines that at times were poised to cut the Chiefs defence wide open. Chiefs themselves though are no strangers to a long defensive set, with Munster going through 20 phases before spilling the ball near the Exeter line. This press continued as Exeter dealt with the strong breeze in their faces, before Munster thought they’d scored from a driving maul on 55 minutes, only to be pulled back by Garces for crossing. The pressure finally told however, as after a series of strong carries, CJ Stander found himself in the right place at the right time to burrow over on 64 minutes. There was a delay for a period of time as medics dealt with a nasty clash of heads between Exeter’s Dave Ewers and Sam Skinner. Ewers returned to the field having passed his HIA assessment, but both he and Skinner will be monitored in the coming days to assess their condition.

With the scores level at 10 apiece, the Sandy Park faithful rallied their team for one final push and they almost got their wish, as the otherwise impressive Carbery kicked a ball dead giving Exeter a scrum 20 metres from the line as the clock ticked past 80. After a series of strong carries and phases that went on for at least 2 minutes over time, Chiefs coughed the ball up agonisingly close to the line, when one last pick and go may have won it. With kicking conditions so difficult, a drop goal never seemed to cross the Chiefs players’ minds, as they resorted to their tried and tested close quarter phase play. The final score of 10 apiece was probably fair as both sides had their chances but we’re never fully able to maintain a stranglehold over the game.

Post-match, Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter was philosophical, admitting that whilst mistakes were made, particularly at the line out, they had at least not lost their hardest test of the season and broken a frustrating tradition of slipping up in the first round of the European competition. Speaking with the press, Henry Slade felt it was 2 points dropped but both were more than aware that there is still everything to play for, in what will be a tightly contested pool. Asked to comment on the incident between Conway and Steenson, Baxter backed the referee, feeling that pundits and supporters needed to stop looking for a “vicious collision” every time there was forceful contact on the rugby pitch. As opening games go, it was a cagey game between two strong teams who will both have designs on reaching the latter stages of the tournament.

In all, both teams will feel satisfied coming away from a first round match that pitted two of the pre-tournament contenders against each other, with Munster Coach Johann Van Graan describing the draw “as good a two points as you’ll do”. Munster next face a rejuvenated Gloucester side at home, whilst Exeter will look to maintain their unbeaten record to start the season, making the daunting trip to Top 14 champions, Castres. Baxter stressed the need to get “at least 3 more wins” out of a strong pool to have a chance of making the last 8. They’ll need to be more clinical with the ball in hand in the opponents half, whilst issues surrounding the lineout will need to be sharply addressed if they have any designs to live up to their pre-tournament billing as possible contenders.

Memorial Ground memories to Twickenham tribulation: Where do Exeter Chiefs go from here?

Wednesday 26 May, 2010; Memorial Ground, Bristol. Exeter Chiefs’ Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, looks on as his side dismantles their South West rivals by 29 points to 10 to secure promotion to the Premiership. In his first season at the helm, Baxter’s men had reached the top tier of English rugby for the first time in the club’s history – an incredible feat for a side that had incrementally improved following promotion from the third tier in 1997.

Except that promotion-winning season was anything but Baxter’s first at the club. 16-years as a player, with ten as captain, preceded Baxter’s coaching career with the Chiefs. As forwards coach, Baxter watched as Exeter moved from the dilapidated County Ground – replete with speedway and greyhound racing tracks – to Sandy Park in 2006 and the very explicit commercial benefits that came with it. The development of both club and Director of Rugby is deeply intertwined. This is Baxter’s relationship to the club. This is his, and Exeter Chiefs’, history.

The Chiefs are in the midst of a period of transition

It’s a history that, on the surface, bears little importance to the everyday success of the club – and the challenges the Chiefs face next season – but it’s a salient point to make following a final that left Baxter clearly devastated at Exeter’s failure to defend their Premiership trophy.

The Chiefs are in the midst of a period of transition. Having stuck by the men who got the club promoted back in 2010, Baxter has seen the lineage dwindle. Tom Hayes, Tom Johnson et al. have all retired in recent years – only Phil Dollman and fly-half hero Gareth Steenson remain from that promotion-winning side.

The Big Chief hails another sell-out Sandy Park crowd

While their replacements have gone on to achieve unprecedented success for Exeter, there was a distinct lack of leadership at Twickenham, as young starlets like Joe Simmonds struggled to cope with Saracens’ savvy. The manner in which he, and the likes of Jonny Hill and local lads Sam Skinner and Joe’s brother, Sam, respond could be the making of the side.

One of the ways sport enchants its fans is its simplicity – success is definite. You can win, lose, or draw; there is an explicit hierarchy to aspire to climb. When you reach the top of the tree, the challenges are very different to the problems those who lie stricken among its roots must endure.

The Chiefs have climbed that tree. Slowly, methodically, ruthlessly – they have earnt the right to be spoken about as the equals of, and superiors to, some of the great names in European rugby. Now in the canopy, the threat to Exeter – as much as anything else – will come from below and the resurgence of their English Premiership rivals in the West Country.

Perhaps the biggest threat comes in the form of Bristol

Bath limped into sixth place in the league by the skin of their teeth before losing to the Chiefs in the Anglo-Welsh Cup final – a disappointing display considering the attacking talent in their ranks. Gloucester finished one place behind Bath and suffered similar heartbreak in the European Challenge Cup. They have also undergone a ‘brand redesign’ to go with their hopes that incoming signing Danny Cipriani will set the Kingsholm crowd alight once more as they return to the top tier in Europe. Both clubs will expect a better showing next term.

But perhaps the biggest threat to the Chiefs comes in the form of Bristol, the Chiefs’ adversaries eight years ago – now promoted back to the top tier of English rugby having languished in the shadows of the sport for so long. Like Gloucester, Bristol have rebranded to become the ‘Bears’ – a move that may see symbols of North America do battle in the South West of England for years to come.

Exeter’s captain Don Armand collecting his runners-up medal at Twickenham

Aside from the nature of Bristol as a sleeping giant of the game, one of their main assets is Pat Lam – Head Coach of the side and a man to rival Baxter’s coaching accumen. Having taken a province even more unfashionable than Exeter – Connacht, who play in the hail and gales of Galway – to a Pro12 title in 2016, Lam was also at the helm for the Barbarians as they dismantled Eddie Jones’ England last month with a dazzling display of daring rugby. The rejuvenation of Bristol was very much made with Lam in mind, and they have stumped up the cash to ensure the project works.

Ed Holmes and Shaun Malton will line-up for Bristol next season, while Will Chudley heads to Bath after six years at Sandy Park. In the short term, Gloucester, Bath, and Bristol are unlikely to rock Exeter on the field. But in the future, for a club that has built an incredible fanbase in Devon and, somewhat begrudgingly, Cornwall, Bristol’s rejuvenation may be a worry for Exeter. The hegemony the Chiefs have in the region is arguably more important when it comes to their academy and scouting systems. To have yet another Premiership rival looking westward to Devon could hamper the Chiefs’ player pool – Jonny Hill is a prime example of Exeter’s ability to attract and improve young players from the region.

Because this is the model for the Chiefs – hard work and relentless improvement, as well as two areas of focus for recruitment: home-grown talent and misfits of the game. It’s not far off the much-heralded ‘Moneyball’ methodology. It does mean, however, that the Chiefs are unlikely to go out and spend in the manner Bristol and Pat Lam have done – Alex Cuthbert is the only new-recruit announced thus far.

In Cuthbert, they have something of a rough diamond – he has footballing deficiencies, but at full-tilt, the Welshman is a wonderful runner and potent try-scorer. Out of the goldfish bowl that is Wales, and into the hard-working and humble environment Baxter engenders, Exeter could have made a shrewd investment on the winger. On the opposite wing, Santiago Cordero has signed up for next year, too, having initially arrived in January until the end of the season.

Representation from Exeter University comes in the form of Sam Morley and James McRae

Having shown glimpses of the talent that shone at the 2015 Rugby World Cup during his stay with Exeter, Cordero offers something very different to Cuthbert – a tricky, nippy jinkster in the mould of Jack Nowell. In all likelihood, the Argentine will act as Nowell’s understudy as England duty is likely to result in the Cornishman spending time away from the Chiefs camp next year. Such a signing is an indication of Baxter’s intent to find players who fit seamlessly into the team’s existing systems.

Henry Slade gets shut down by England team-mates Billy Vunipola and Alex Lozowski

Along with the two wingers, Exeter have also extended the contracts of Jack Yeandle, Harry Williams, and Steenson, the latter of whom has just completed his testimonial year. There has been recruitment in the academy, too – with representation from Exeter University coming in the form of Sam Morley and James McRae. Some of the misfits are migrating away from Devon, too. Thomas Waldrom returns to New Zealand having won the hearts and minds of the Chiefs fans. His departure leaves big boots to fill.

With a Rugby World Cup to come in the autumn of 2019, the international recognition Exeter’s players are receiving makes for an interesting situation. The front-row of Alec Hepburn, Luke Cowan-Dickie, and Harry Williams have all established themselves on the fringes of the England side, while Jack Nowell and Henry Slade have done so in the backline. Sam Simmonds made a stellar start to his test career against Italy, too, and Jonny Hill has been selected to tour South Africa this summer, yet there are several other players who are perhaps going overlooked by Eddie Jones’ England – most notably back-row Don Armand.

How Baxter responds to several of his players having to deal with the added pressure of playing test rugby will be revealing. The depth of the squad is notoriously strong – resulting in Anglo-Welsh Cup success this season – and, for a team that refuses to rely on a few star players, the prospect of losing one or two players to injury and loss of form resulting from their international commitments isn’t too daunting, yet it is an unwelcome one. In many ways, Baxter may secretly hope that Eddie Jones opts to overlook the likes of Armand, winger Olly Woodburn, and Joe Simmonds.

It’s not all doom-and-gloom

It’s not all doom-and-gloom though. Exeter have qualified for next season’s Champions Cup as either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 side – having been drawn in an astonishingly tricky pool in this season’s competition, a move favourable draw will give rise to hopes that the Chiefs can go further than the quarter-final they reached in 2016.

Europe is surely the final frontier for the Chiefs. Baxter remarked after defeat to Leinster back in December that “although we have won a Premiership final and we got to another, the European thing is still is a big learn for us”. It was an admirable effort by Baxter’s men – up against Montpellier, Glasgow, and eventual-winners Leinster, an emphatic start was hampered by back-to-back defeats by Leinster. They went on to finish second in Pool 3 but missed out on qualification for the quarter-finals after a revitalisd Glasgow showed their true form in the final group game.

There were, however, plenty of positives from their European sojourn; in terms of lessons, few are as harsh or as useful as those they will have learnt at the hands of Leinster. The Dublin outfit are an imperious team, demonstrated by success in both the Champions Cup and Pro14 this season. At times it feels like watching an international side such is the slick efficiency, strength in depth, and apparent desire to win that runs through the province. Despite this, Exeter pushed Leinster close both home and away.

Crucially, for the Chiefs, Leinster have no qualms about the style of rugby they play. Under Head Coach Leo Cullen and Senior Coach Stuart Lancaster, they have tightened up their approach in the forwards, with a relentless possession-based game in the forwards representing a marriage of Exeter’s phase-play and Saracens’ physicality in the contact. With Johnny Sexton pulling the strings from number-10 it has proved an impossible juggernaut to stop this season.

There is a case to be made for recruiting an experienced stalwart in the number-10 shirt

Aside from flattering Baxter’s tactics, Sarcens’ and Leinster’s success proves that forward-power is still supreme when it comes to winning the top prize in Europe. Without a figure like Owen Farrell or Sexton, Exeter will continue to utilise the tandem pairing of Steenson and Joe Simmonds at outside-half to marshal a young pack that should improve with age and experience, particularly in the physicality stakes. There is a case to be made for recruiting an experienced stalwart in the number-10 shirt such is Simmonds’ relative rawness, yet hampering the young man’s development would fly in the face of Exeter’s model that has helped them get where they are today.

While Baxter was keen to emphasise his concern “is the future of Exeter Chiefs” after the defeat at Twickenham, fans may also be worried about the way in which he is being lined up as heir-apparent to England coach Eddie Jones. It’s an interesting situation, with certain Chiefs players overlooked by the Australian as he struggles to regain the impetus he brought to England when he first arrived. As Exeter City FC move forward without Paul Tisdale, it’s difficult to predict what would happen to the Chiefs without Baxter at the helm. Though that day will eventually come Chiefs fans will hope it doesn’t arrive any time soon.

To even be talking about such worries shows how far the Chiefs have come in eight years. Despite their loss at HQ, and the inevitable pressure that comes with maintaining and improving upon success, the Chiefs are in fine fettle.

Exeter Chiefs dethroned by Saracens in Premiership Final

It was a case of déjà vu all over again on Saturday 26 May as the Chiefs succumbed to a Premiership Final defeat to Saracens in a repeat of the 2016 fixture. Having put in a succession of masterful domestic displays this season, the Sandy Park outfit went into the game with a 10-game winning streak in all competitions – it proved inconsequential as the Chiefs were left devastated, with Saracens running out deserved winners on a warm and windy afternoon at Twickenham.

Chiefs’ captain Don Armand looked determined in the warm-up

The Chiefs were left bitterly disappointed as a masterful forward effort by Saracens prevented Exeter from stamping their mark on the game, with Mark McCall’s men notching four tries to the Chiefs’ sole score. Two quickfire tries by Billy Vunipola and Chris Wyles in the first quarter set Saracens on their way, before Wyles’ second just after half-time all-but put the game to bed.

Gareth Steenson crossed the whitewash for the Chiefs as Rob Baxter’s men rallied in the final quarter, but it was Saracens who had the final word – Nathan Earle diving over in the corner with two minutes to play.

Defending champions Exeter had topped the Premiership table for much of the year and finished the domestic season eight points clear of second-placed Saracens. Both teams opted to select the same personnel from their semi-final successes – a 36-5 hammering of Newcastle for Exeter and a 57-33 thriller for Saracens against Wasps respectively.

this match was, irrefutably, the best two sides in England coming head-to-head when it really mattered

If those results weren’t enough proof, this match was, irrefutably, the best two sides in England coming head-to-head when it really mattered. Exeter began the game the better of the two teams and dominated the opening exchanges. Neat box-kicking by scrum-half Nic White forced Sean Maitland into a knock-on, and from the resulting scrum the Chiefs looked to put the ball through the hands early on. Excellent interplay by Alec Hepburn and Mitch Lees put Sam Hill half clear, and Saracens infringed on their 22m line – an early opportunity for Joe Simmonds to get points on the board.

He duly obliged, sending the penalty from bang in front straight through the middle of the posts – the Chiefs led 3-0 after five minutes. The next opportunity came from Sam Simmonds breaking downfield from the restart. The Chiefs’ recycling had Saracens on the back foot, forcing Vincent Koch to infringe on his 10m line – Simmonds-the-younger stepped up to add to his first effort, but his shot on the angle was scuffed wide and short of the posts.

Incredibly, the statistics showed the Chiefs had 99% of the possession after nine minutes – a clear mark of intent from Baxter’s side. With Saracens’ sheer bulk and ability to score with sucker-punch blows from anywhere on the pitch, Exeter knew any success would be reliant on their ability to string the phases together and keep their North London rivals’ aggressive defence on the back foot.

Exeter knew any success would be reliant on their ability to string the phases together

Despite an excellent opening, the Chiefs failed to maintain their dominance of the ball. After referee Wayne Barnes pinged Maro Itoje for playing the man in the air at a lineout on halfway, Henry Slade stepped up and followed Simmonds by skewing his kick to touch over the try-line, to the delight of the Saracens’ faithful.

It was a sure sign of big-match nerves from Slade. If familiarity breeds success, then Twickenham is something of a second home for Saracens. Not only have they staged home-games at HQ since 2004 in the London Double-Header, but six trips to the stadium for the Premiership final – resulting in three victories before this year – to go with their two European Champions Cup trophies hammered home precisely what stood in the way of the Chiefs and a successful title defence.

McCall alluded to his side’s pedigree in the week before the game – it had been “53 weeks since” Saracens had seen the trophy stolen away from them by a late Exeter try at the semi-final stage last season. That sense of determination was writ large across the team as, two minutes after Slade’s miskick, Billy Vunipola crossed the whitewash for the first time in the game.

It was a somewhat unfortunate break that had Saracens hammering on the Chiefs’ try-line. A neat chip by Owen Farrell in the midfield bounced kindly for Alex Goode, who hacked on into the Exeter 22. The full-back reclaimed his volley, and when his teammates came to his aid, Farrell was able to find Wyles on the left with a crossfield kick. The American winger fed Billy Vunipola, and although he was initially stopped, when the ball was recycled to the big number-eight, he crashed through Joe Simmonds’ attempted tackle to score at the base of the posts.

If Exeter fans were bemoaning their side’s poor fortune at the bounce of the ball, it didn’t take long for them to have something else to worry about.

Incredibly, Vunipola was only confirmed fit to play 20 minutes before kick-off. As McCall admitted after the game, the England star hadn’t trained all week due to concerns over a hamstring injury. Despite only lasting 59 minutes, Vunipola emphatically won the battle between the two England number eights, hammering into contact along with his brother, Mako. By contrast, Sam Simmonds and his sibling, Joe, had a torrid afternoon, unable to use their more subtle prowess in a game dictated by physicality.

Jack Nowell showing signs of the physical battle

If Exeter fans were bemoaning their side’s poor fortune at the bounce of the ball, it didn’t take long for them to have something else to worry about. After stringing their own possession together – and making more headway in the midfield than Exeter were able to – Saracens overloaded their left-hand side. Wyles was the grateful recipient of Maitland’s deft draw-and-pass following good interplay between Farrell and Goode once more, and the departing winger had a clear run-in from the 22 – the first quarter gone, and the Chiefs trailed 3-12.

Saracens were firmly in control. Every carry saw them get over the gainline. When captain Don Armand disappeared for a Head Injury Assessment, the Chiefs nearly saw the game slip away from them before half-time. Two charged-down kicks in a matter of seconds – by Farrell on Lachie Turner and Itoje on White – pinned Exeter on their own line. The lineout faltered, Farrell put boot to ball once more, and only a despairing dive by Jack Nowell prevented Wyles from claiming his second.

THE CHIEFS had to work hard to bring down Sarries’ heavy-hitters

Exeter struggled with their power-game against formidable Saracens defence

The first-half ended with Armand’s return and Farrell pulling a penalty wide to the left – his third missed kick of the afternoon. The Chiefs had seen their possession reduced to 48% at the interval, and despite the relatively even statistics across the board, they failed to paint the whole picture. Saracens’ defensive discipline and power allowed them to refrain from overloading their defensive breakdowns; in contrast, Exeter had to work hard to bring down Sarries’ heavy-hitters, resulting in gaps around the fringes and out wide.

Exeter came out with high-hopes, but minutes in and Saracens had a third try. Saracens’ captain Brad Barritt got clear following a neat offload on the inside and the forwards ground their way to the line. The ball went wide – Lozowski found Goode, and once more the full-back sent Wyles clear for his second score. Farrell added the extras from out wide.

Baxter responded by emptying the bench, and veteran fly-half Gareth Steenson replaced the young apprentice Joe Simmonds, who had looked somewhat intimidated by the occasion. The Irishman’s experience was key in turning the tide, and he pulled the Chiefs back within nine-points of Saracens when he carried Ben Spencer over the line following a first-phase scrum play. Ultimately, it proved fruitless as the Chiefs were unable to mount the comeback their fans were crying out for.

Gareth Steenson scored Exeter’s only try of the game

Having been starved of the ball for so long, the match hinged on the Chiefs’ ability to go back to basics and score from their well-worn method of sticking the ball up the forwards’ jumpers and heaving towards the line.

Three such chances arrived. The first saw Steenson send a glorious penalty kick to Saracens’ 5m line, and the forwards duly obliged by rolling the resulting maul towards the line for what looked a certain try – until Schalk Brits hauled it down, spending ten minutes in the sin-bin for the pleasure. Steenson kicked to the corner again, and although he eventually scored several phases later, both the maul and the Chiefs’ pods of forwards were repelled by a disciplined defensive line. For this Exeter team, it has almost become a formality that they score from such positions – to fail at the hands of such a resolute defence that has kept you well away from their try-line all day must have been dispiriting.

processes that work seamlessly in the safe surroundings of Sandy Park went awry AT Twickenham

When the third opportunity arrived not long after Steenson crossed the whitewash, Slade failed to repeat the Irishman’s feat of putting the pack into the red zone. Slade sought to avoid his first-half error, and his penalty to touch from around halfway only made it to the 22 – a relative lightyear to traverse considering the fifteen obstacles stood between Exeter and the try-line. As it was, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jonny Hill got their wires crossed and the chance went begging – processes that work seamlessly in the safe surroundings of Sandy Park suddenly went awry in the oppressive heat of Twickenham.

Sam Skinner celebrates – but Dave Ewers’s try was disallowed

Farrell departed with cramp but Saracens’ territorial dominance continued with an excellent kicking game that kept Chiefs pegged in their own half. Spencer added another penalty to extend the margin to 12-points, before Earle capped a dominant victory for Saracens with time running out and the Chiefs switching off on the blindside after defending a series of forward drives on their own line.

“Finals are about the winners” – ROB BAXTER

After the game, Baxter was understandably devastated: “The changing room feels a lot different from two years ago. It didn’t feel a nice place just now – and that’s not because the players are unaware that they’ve had a good season. They know they’ve had a good season and we’ve achieved things we’ve never done before as a side – but it didn’t feel like a changing room that was happy, or pleased, or at the end of a journey.

“Finals are about the winners. I thought Saracens were very good […] their management of the game […] and how they worked to exploit [that] into pressure and points was very good and we didn’t handle that well enough on the day.”

Sarries show their delight at regaining the Premiership trophy

Addressing the suggestion that the Chiefs may have fared better had they opted for experience over youth, Baxter was adamant. “My job isn’t [just about] today. Sam Simmonds has played international rugby. What am I going to do – not pick him because Tom Waldrom’s around? It doesn’t work like that.”

It was a disappointing end to the Chiefs’ season. Having performed admirably, if unsuccessfully, in Europe this year, their domestic form has been imperious – spurred on by the determination to retain a title that surely seemed improbable eight years ago when they won promotion to the Premiership for the first time. But for a resolute Sarries outfit that suffocated the life out of the contest through their discipline and power, Exeter looked likely to do just that having brushed aside all-comers at Sandy Park this term.

“Some of the things we got wrong you can put down to pressure from the scoreboard, or from the things Saracens were doing,” continued Baxter. “That’s what we’ve got to learn from”.

Exeter Chiefs: (3) 10

Try: Steenson Pen: J Simmonds Con: Steenson

Saracens (12) 27

Tries: B Vunipola, Wyles 2, Earle Pen: Spencer Cons: Farrell 2

Sin Bin: Brits

Referee: Wayne Barnes

Attendance: 75,128

Exeter: Lachie Turner; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Sam Hill (Whitten 48), Olly Woodburn; Joe Simmonds (Steenson 48), Nic White (Townsend 58); Alec Hepburn (Moon 48), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Yeandle 48), Tomas Francis (Holmes 48), Mitch Lees (Skinner 50), Jonny Hill, Dave Ewers, Don Armand (c) (Waldrom HIA 30; returned 39), Sam Simmonds (Waldrom 65).

Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Ben Moon, Greg Holmes, Sam Skinner, Thomas Waldrom, Stuart Townsend, Gareth Steenson, Olly Whitten.

Saracens: Alex Goode; Sean Maitland, Alex Lozowski, Brad Barritt (c) (Bosch HIA 50; returned 58), Chris Wyles (George 61; returned 70; Earle 74); Owen Farrell (Bosch 66), Richard Wigglesworth (Spencer 58); Mako Vunipola (Barrington 74), Jamie George (Brits 52; returned 61; Wyles 70), Vincent Koch (Figallo 52), Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Nick Isiekwe (Skelton 66), Jackson Wray, Billy Vunipola (Rhodes 58).

Replacements: Schalk Brits, Richard Barrington, Juan Figallo, Will Skelton, Michael Rhodes, Ben Spencer, Marcelo Bosch, Nathan Earle.

Sin Bin: Brits 59

LIVE: Aviva Premiership Final 2018: Exeter Chiefs v Saracens

16:59: That’s all from us at Twickenham. A heartbreaking end to the season for the Chiefs, but Saracens squeezed them out of the game with a mix of brute force and controlled kicking. We’ll be back at Sandy Park next year with coverage of the Chiefs.

16:56: Mako Vunipola picks up the man of the match award as they set up the podium for the trophy presentation. Don Armand looks subdued as he chats to reporters – there’s a distinct sense they didn’t quite leave it all out there today: no controversial refereeing decision, or chalked-off try, to complain about here – Saracens were the better side.

FULL TIME: And that’s it. It’s all over. Saracens are Aviva Premiership Champions…

FULL-TIME: Chiefs 10-27 Saracens. Chiefs were outfought, outsmarted and comprehensively beaten in the Aviva Premiership Final. Ultimately, all their possession counted for little in the face of a superior outfit who waited for their chances and exploited key weaknesses.

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

79 mins: Spencer pulls the conversion to the left.

78 mins: TRY SARACENS! Icing on the cake for the Allianz side. Exeter switch off down the blind-side, the ball comes to Alex Goode who runs a late angle into the line, and his pass sends Nathan Earle diving over the whitewash unopposed in the corner.

77 mins: The fans are starting to trickle out here. Disappointing end to the season for Exeter – they will feel they haven’t shown their full potential here today, but that is exactly what Saracens do to teams. They grind them down defensively and pounce with ruthless efficiency in attack.

75 mins: Saracens so nearly have their third try, but Sam Skinner intercepts a crucial pass – but he can’t hold onto it. Saracens making more changes – they must think they’re home now. Scrum 8m from Exeter’s line to the left of the posts.

73 mins: Sarries have forced Exeter back into their 22 with their tactical kicking. They field Townsend’s box-kick and are holding onto the ball. Nothing flashy now – they’re 7 minutes away from glory.

70 mins: Penalty Saracens. Ben Spencer converts in front of the sticks – Exeter trail 10-22.

70 mins: Close! They’re over the line, but Barnes pulls it back for double movement. They have the advantage though – sensibly, Barritt points to the posts.

69 mins: Sarries turning to screw here. Bounce of the ball favouring them too. They’re 5m out – another score would be decisive, you feel.

67 mins: Saracens player down in the backfield – it’s Brad Barritt. He’s been in the wars today.

The official attendance is 75,128

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

66 mins: Conservative kick to the 22, and then Exeter spill it at the tail. They get the ball back, but it’s a Saracens penalty for Holmes not releasing. Golden period for Chiefs – Sarries now trying to run the clock down and take as long they can. Farrell is off – Bosch is on; Waldrom comes on for Sam Simmonds.

65 mins: Chance straight away. Exeter break from their 22, Turner stamps his way out of a half-tackle, and only a Slade fumble prevents a glorious opportunity. They’ll come back for the penalty – perhaps a blessing if they can get the rumble going!

63 mins: TRY EXETER! And it’s Gareth Steenson! The old head sends Twickenham into raptures – a neat dummy and go from the scrum, and the Irishman carries a defender over the line. His conversion is good – 19-10. Game on for Exeter!

TRY EXETER! AT LAST! GAME ON! A long spell of pressure eventually pays off at Steenson goes over the line!

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

61 mins: NO TRY! Scrum 5 to Chiefs…

61 mins: Initial punch by Sam Simmonds takes them 2m short. Huge overlap on the left – but Simmonds ignores it and carries it to the line again. Exeter rumble ver – the crowd think they’ve scored. TMO is called for…

60 mins: This time it’s short! Huge carrying from Exeter, but Saracens hold firm – Chiefs need the try if they’re t get back in this.

59 mins: SIN BIN: Schalk Brits. It looks like it’s going over…Barnes has his arm out…but Sarries pull it down! Brits is walking off – he’s been sent to the bin. Exeter go back to the corner…

58 mins: Close down the left! Woodburn draws the last man, finds Turner on his shoulder who is pulled down by the cover defence, and the Australian turns it back inside. It doesn’t come to anything – Exeter take it back for a penalty just inside the 10m line – but that’s the first time they’ve really had Saracens on the back foot. Promising. Steenson puts them 5m out…

57 mins: Chiefs stringing the phases together nicely now. Nowell is to the fore, Skinner shows his ability in the loose. Gaps, and overlaps, are appearing – it’s about finishing one of them off.

54 mins: Monstrous counter-ruck by Itoje. Jonny Hill tries to secure the ball – but he’s in from the side. Pressure: released.

53 mins: Turning point? Perhaps, as the scrum wheels and Mako Vunipola is pinged. Exeter play a neat short ball at the resulting lineout. They’re going to have to throw everything they’ve got at Sarries now.

53: All a bit of a mess out there right now – Chiefs unable to maintain a possession game that has rarely deserted them all season, while Saracens continue to impose themselves.

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

52 mins: Keystone cops moment in the midfield. First Whitten, then Armond, and then Farrell display some butter fingers. Itoje is down – worrying signs for England fans. Sarries bring on Schalk Brits – an absolute hero at the Allianz Arena – and Juan Figallo for Jamie George and Koch respectively. Itoje is back on his feet.

50 mins: Bit of a breather here as a Barritt is down. Sam Skinner comes on to replace Mitch Lees. Marcelo Bosch is on as a H.I.A. for the Sarries captain.

49 mins: Baxter rings the changes…

49: 5 – FIVE – changes for Chiefs – Hepburn replaced by Moon, Cowan-Dickie for Yeandle, Francis for Holmes, Joe Simmonds for Steenson and Hill for Whitten.

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

47 mins: TRY SARACENS! And they are! Chris Wyles has his second. Good work by the forwards around the fringes, tying in Exeter defenders, allows space on the left – and there’s acres of it. Lozowski finds Goode and the full-back puts Wyles in the clear – an easy finish for his second of the game. Farrell has clearly changed his boot at half-time – nails the conversion from tight to the touchline. 19-3.

46 mins: Barritt’s away on an inside offload and Sarries are into the Exeter 22. The Sarries fans are vocal for the first time today. They sense their rumbling side is in…

45 mins: Ball spills loose from poor Sarries handling in midfield, Joe Simmonds picks up and kicks, and Woodburn hares after it, but Saracens mop up and Farrell is able to plug the corner left absent by Woodburn. Ruthless – Exeter half-chance becomes a defensive operation.

16:03: Alas, it comes to nothing. A good string of phases into the double figures, but Nowell can’t catch the ball by his fingertips and it’s a Sarries lineout on their own 10m line – and now a penalty for (very minimal) contact in the air.

16:02: Better from Exeter – more vigour in the carry and some tasty running lines to check the Sarries defence. They’re up to the Saracens 10m line…

16:00: Teams are back out. Chiefs have 40 minutes to turn this around and retain the Aviva Premiership trophy…

15:58: Some more stats…

Scrums: Exe 3/3; Saracens 5/5
Lineouts: Exe 4/6; Saracens 1/2
Rucks: Exe 67/68; Saracens 63/63
Mauls: Exe 2/2; Saracens 0
Defenders beaten: Exe 13; Saracens 8
Penalties conceded: Exe 3; Saracens 4
Offloads: Exe 4; Saracens 6

15:55: If Exeter are to get back into this, they need the ball. They’ve had half of it, but it’s clearly not enough – they need to starve their opponents and string together the phases in the hope a gap will open.

It hasn’t looked like Saracens will yield, but as players begin to tire, you’d expect gaps to open up for the Simmonds brothers, Slade, and Nowell to exploit. If the arm wrestle continues, you can expect Saracens’ ruthlessness to see them home to the trophy.

15:54: Some half-time stats for you…and it’s surprisingly even in some regards. 50:50 in terms of possession, with 55% of that taking part in Exeter’s half. Same number of carries for both sides – 77 with 2 clean breaks apiece, but Sarries have made 222 metres to Exe’s 139.

Tackles are similarly even – 92 for Exeter, 88 for Saracens, with a success rate of 91% and 85% respectively (8 and 13 missed).

15:49: Chiefs dominated the opening ten minutes, with one penalty scored and one missed. Saracens, in typical fashion, stormed back into the game with a brutish score – and haven’t looked back since.

HALF TIME: Exeter Chiefs 3 – 12 Saracens

40 mins: Penalty Saracens. Farrell from out wide on the left…and he’s pulled it to the left!

39 mins: Armand is back on for Waldrom – could use some leadership from the captain. Another scrum goes down, Saracens nudge ever-so-slightly forwards, and Barnes awards them the advantage. Turning the screw…

37 mins: We’re having a bit of a breather here. Don Armand is n the exercise bike – not sure if he’s coming back on. An incredible statistic for you – Exeter had 100% of the possession after 9 minutes. Saracens have since reduced that to 48%. Crucially, the numbers that matter are on the scoreborard – Sarries still lead 12-3.

37 mins: Half a chance in midfield as another Koch knock-on finds its way to Dave Ewers, but the big second-row can’t keep his composure to find a teammate and the chance goes begging.

35 mins: Lineout goes astray, Farrell dinks it behind Nowell and Wyles is sure to score…isn’t he? No! The little Cornishman hares back to knock the ball out of the American’s arms and save a certain try. Exeter hanging on!

34 mins: Huge pressure from Saracens! Two charged down kicks in a matter of seconds. First Farrell on Turner, then Itoje on White. Exeter fortunate to have a 5m lineout rather than concede the try.

33 mins: Saracens stringing the phases together and breaking the gainline every time. An inside ball from Farrell careers off Vincent Koch – the prop doesn’t look too happy with the unsympathetic pass. Exeter have the scrum on their 22.

31 mins: Don Armand has taken a blow to his head – off he goes for a H.I.A. Waldrom is on – crowd is happy. Final appearance for the Chiefs, they could use a trademark run from the big man to get back in the game.

30 mins: Lachie Turner puts a speculative chip in on the back foot and, incredibly, the bounce favours Exeter. Cries from the crowd to move it wide, and a huge hit on Hepburn by his opposite number, but Saracens hold firm. Huge contact from both attack and defence. Cowan-Dickie, perhaps feeling that hit, knocks on out wide to bring the move to an end. Bodies strewn across the pitch for both teams.

26 mins: Saracens run it and Lozowski is nearly clear off an inside ball. It’ll come back for Chiefs dropping a scrum, though. Farrell thinks about the posts, but instead puts Saracens 10m out with a kick to touch.

24 mins: Chiefs get a reprieve as Kruis is pinged for offside at a lineout. No mistake with the touch finder – but Cowan-Dickie can’t keep his throw straight. Exeter need the mettle of champions here.

22 mins: Sarries taking control now. Winning the aerial battles, getting over the gainline, plugging the corners with their kicks. Chiefs under pressure.

With that second try, Saracens have broken the record for most tries scored in a season – 97 and counting.

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

20 mins: TRY SARACENS! Like London buses, Sarries have another! It looked fairly innocuous in the middle of the the park, but the backs overloaded the left wing and Chris Wyles was the grateful recipient of Maitland’s deft draw-and-pass. Farrell’s conversion drifts wide to the right – they lead 12-3. Testing times for the Chiefs.

17 mins: Chiefs go back to basics and keep the ball in hand. Solid possession by the men in black, but Jackson Wray gets in over the ball to win a penalty at the breakdown on his own 22.

14 mins: TRY SARACENS! First decent possession for Saracens – and they’re away! A break by Alex Goode sees him hack the ball on, Farrell cross-field kicks to Wyles and Billy Vunipola takes it up to the line…and when it comes back to him he’s able to crash over! Like that, Saracens lead – 7-3 with Farrell’s conversion. Ruthless!

12 mins: And Slade misses touch! Big game nerves are showing…

11 mins: Sarries get their hands on the ball for the first time in the game – and it’s quickly put to the boot. No messing here from either side. Saracens, however, concede another penalty – this time for pulling Jonny Hill down at a lineout.

9 mins: Another penalty to Exeter at the breakdown. Simmonds is having another shot from the 10m line – the angle makes it about 43 metres. Tricky…and it shows. It’s scuffed short and wide.

5 mins: Penalty Exeter. Great possession from Chiefs despite resolute Sarries defence. Some neat handling by Hepburn and Lees puts Hill half clear, and Saracens infringe in front of the sticks. Joe Simmonds nails the kick from the 22, and we’ve got points on the board – 3-0 to Chiefs.

2 mins: Great box-kicking from Nic White forcing a knock-on from Sean Maitland as we have our first scrum of the game. Tester…

1 min: And we’re off!

14:55: The trophy gets carried out by Jonny Wilkinson and Lawrence Dallaglio in name of the Doddie Weir Trust. Puts things into perspective…and here come the teams, led out by Don Armand of the Chiefs and Brad Barritt for Saracens.

Teams have been read out, the massive shirt display is complete, and we await the teams. Chiefs' support definitely the more vocal so far. pic.twitter.com/83lPjywFvH

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

14:50: Wayne Barnes’ name is announced over the tannoy to a chorus of boos from both sets of fans – perhaps the last time they’ll be in unison until the final whistle.

14:48: The teams head back into the sheds. We’re 10 minutes away here…

14:44: Stadium is filling up nicely. The Chiefs fans have somewhat further to travel than their North London counterparts – great effort from the Devon army as the first Tomahawk Chop rings around the ground.

14:31: We’re just under half and hour away from kick-off. Both teams going through their paces. There’s a stiff, swirling wind inside the stadium that takes the edge off the searing sun. Perfect weather for some positive rugby – let’s hope we get it!

14:08: You can follow the action here, or over on the Exeposé Sport twitter account – @exeposeport.

We are LIVE from one of England's greatest sporting amphitheatres, Twickenham, today as Exeter Chiefs take on Saracens in the 2018 Aviva Premiership Rugby Final – KO 3pm.

— Exeposé Sport (@ExeposeSport) May 26, 2018

14:02: Exeter Chiefs finished the domestic season 8 points clear of second-placed Saracens. A solid 36-5 demolition of Newcastle at Sandy Park last week saw the Chiefs into the final. For Saracens, a similarly impressive 57-33 triumph over Wasps booked their place in today’s showpiece event.

13:50: As if you needed a reminder…

And this is what’s up for grabs today. pic.twitter.com/DlOFTpbRGZ

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) May 26, 2018

13:45: The game today is a repeat of the 2016 final – the first time Exeter Chiefs made their way to Twickenham in the Premiership. Exeter will be looking to avoid a repeat of the 28-20 defeat they suffered at the hands of Owen Farrell et al. that day.

13:40: This is how the two sides line-up today…

Exeter: Lachie Turner; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Sam Hill, Olly Woodburn; Joe Simmonds, Nic White; Alec Hepburn, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tomas Francis, Mitch Lees, Jonny Hill, Dave Ewers, Don Armand (c), Sam Simmonds.

Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Ben Moon, Greg Holmes, Sam Skinner, Thomas Waldrom, Stuart Townsend, Gareth Steenson, Olly Whitten.

Saracens: Alex Goode; Sean Maitland, Alex Lozowski, Brad Barritt (c), Chris Wyles; Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Vincent Koch, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Nick Isiekwe, Jackson Wray, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Schalk Brits, Richard Barrington, Juan Figallo, Will Skelton, Michael Rhodes, Ben Spencer, Marcelo Bosch, Nathan Earle.

Changing room ready to go for @ExeterChiefs pic.twitter.com/N6LVeGj5kO

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) May 26, 2018

13:30: Good afternoon everybody! It’s a glorious afternoon in South West London as Exeter Chiefs are set to take on Saracens in the Aviva Premiership Final. Wil Jones and Josh Brown will be providing you by-the-minute updates and analysis.

Dominant Chiefs stroll into Premiership Final

Defending champions Exeter Chiefs thrashed Newcastle Falcons 36-5 at Sandy Park in their Aviva Premiership semi-final on Saturday.

Tries from man-of-the-match Nic White, winger Olly Woodburn and captain Don Armand, alongside some imperious kicking by the impressive Joe Simmonds, were the key moments against an unusually sloppy and lacklustre Newcastle side.

The victory means Exeter will contest their third consecutive Premiership final at Twickenham next week, against a Saracens side who put 57 points past Wasps in Saturday’s other semi-final.

“From the first whistle, Exeter were dominant in possession…”

The 31-point margin was representative of the gulf in class between the two sides. From the first whistle, Exeter were dominant in possession and despite an early bout of Newcastle resilience, the gaps soon opened up. 21-year old Joe Simmonds, getting the nod ahead of club veteran Gareth Steenson, kicked three early penalties as Exeter converted their pressure into points.

The efficiency of Exeter’s performance throughout the first-half was displayed in their 92% possession, and making of only nine tackles – an astonishing pair of statistics for a game of such magnitude. Although Newcastle were valiant in their defensive efforts, their wastefulness on the odd occasion they got their hands on the ball was uncharacteristic of a side who has defied all the odds in reaching the semi-finals this season.

Regardless of Newcastle’s effort in defence, an Exeter try seemed like an inevitability. A yellow card for deliberately denying a try-scoring opportunity via hands in the ruck by second-row Evan Olmstead, as well as a serious-looking injury to prop Scott Wilson, didn’t help Falcons’ cause. Interestingly though, with two minutes left, it looked like Newcastle might escape with just a 9-0 deficit at half-time. However, Exeter’s persistent pounding of the Newcastle defence soon led to the opening try. A brilliant break by full-back Lachie Turner led scrum-half Nic White to sneakily go over under the posts. Simmonds added the extras, 16-0 at half-time – Newcastle had it all to do.

“…Flood’s consequent conversion was miraculously charged down by Turner, in a moment that left the Sandy Park crowd bouncing in approval.”

In the second period, Newcastle were undoubtedly a better, more purposeful outfit, with cracks suddenly emerging in the Exeter defence. Despite a couple of penalties by Simmonds extending the lead to 22-points, Newcastle got on the board with ex-England international Toby Flood drawing two defenders before setting up substitute Alex Tait to go over the whitewash, with just over 20 minutes to go. And yet, in a moment which not only epitomised Exeter’s determined and dogged performance, but also halted any potential Newcastle momentum, Flood’s consequent conversion was miraculously charged down by Turner, in a moment that left the Sandy Park crowd bouncing in approval.

Indeed, Exeter responded immediately in a fashion befitting of champions and league leaders. Only three minutes after Newcastle had a glimmer of hope, the door was pushed firmly shut, as White out the back of an Exeter scrum in Newcastle’s 22 went blind, to set up Olly Woodburn to finish brilliantly in the corner. Simmonds converted impressively from the touchline, and an Exeter win was then a formality at 29-5.

The last 15 minutes had a testimonial-feel to it. With the result decided, Rob Baxter brought on number 8 Thomas Waldrom for his final appearance for Exeter at Sandy Park. He, alongside Steenson, replaced the Simmonds brothers to a rapturous Sandy Park reception. The game concluded with Tait unforgivably dropping the ball on the try-line, with no one around him, and Waldrom beautifully feeding Armand to go in under the posts to put the icing on the cake on what had been a near-perfect Exeter Chiefs display.

“The win sets up a mouth-watering conclusion to the Premiership season next week…”

Speaking post-match, coach Rob Baxter said, “The manner of our win was very pleasing. We didn’t get frustrated, we never really left the script, and we had a performance which was glued together today.” A similar sentiment was echoed by skipper Don Armand. “To come away with a good victory like that gives us good momentum going into the final next week”, said the flanker.

The win sets up a mouth-watering conclusion to the Premiership season next week, between the top two sides in English rugby over the past few years. Exeter Chiefs v Saracens, at Twickenham, on Saturday 26^thMay, 15:00 kick-off – you will not want to miss it.

Exeter: Turner; Nowell, Slade, Hill, Woodburn; J. Simmonds, White; Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie, Francis, Lees, Hill, Ewers, Armand ©, S. Simmonds

Subs: Yeandle, Moon, Holmes, Skinner, Waldrom, Townsend, Steenson, Whitten

Coach: Rob Baxter

Newcastle: Hammersley; Goneva, Harris, Matavesi, Sinoti; Flood, Young; Lockwood, Cooper, S. Wilson, Green, Olmstead, M. Wilson ©, Graham, Hogg

Subs: S. Socino, Vickers, Wilson, Witty, Latu, Takulua, J. P. Socino, Tait

Coach: Dean Richards

Referee: Matthew Carley

Attendance: 12,772

Chief’s March On: Exeter Sweep Aside Gloucester

Exeter Chiefs all-but cemented their hopes of a home Premiership semi-final with a dominating display over Gloucester at Sandy Park.

In front of 12,760 fans in a typically raucous atmosphere it was the Chiefs’ sheer relentlessness, rather than hugely impressive skill, that saw them overcome a spirited Gloucester side that had beaten them 28-21 at the reverse fixture at the beginning of the season.

The visitors nearly scored in the opening exchange; Henry Trinder collected his own kick and scampered down the sideline, only to be tackled into touch metres short of the line. Owen Williams then made it 0-3 from the penalty spot but from then on it was largely one-way traffic.

Exeter were forced to alter their backline after just 14 minutes when Sam Hill went off injured, which saw a return for Jack Nowell after his injury in England’s Six Nations loss to Scotland. They went ahead soon after, with the irrepressible Alec Hepburn scoring from a few metres out.

Two minutes later the Chiefs scored again, this time Sam Simmonds diving over after a driving line-out. Exeter coach Rob Baxter will however have some concerns surrounding his side’s line-out which, though usually a potent weapon, was plagued by uncharacteristic errors today.

“Chiefs were in cruise-control”

Gloucester were ferocious in defence, with impressive line speed and tackle accuracy leading to repeated turnovers and penalties against the hosts. But the immense strain they were put under began to show; they put in 100 tackles by the half-hour mark and, as the game wore on, they understandably began to tire.

Gloucester’s task became even greater when Ruan Ackermann was yellow-carded towards the end of a 40 minutes where 82% of the action was in their half. Exeter made the man advantage pay; Olly Woodburn, who was impressive throughout, streaked down the wing and passed inside to Skinner. The ball was recycled and Hepburn offloaded beautifully off the floor for Woodburn to streak onto, beating the Gloucester defenders to score.

If Gloucester were to salvage this game from 22-3 at half time, they needed to start converting chances they had fought tooth and nail to secure in the first half. They did score the opening try of the second half; the unusually quiet Mark Atkinson ghosted through the onrushing defence and fed Callum Braley to canter in.

This was a flash in the pan for a Gloucester side that, though they have the ability to spring tries from anywhere, did not have enough possession to establish a foothold in the game. They only had 52 carries up to Braley’s try, with 9 separate handling errors plaguing their attack. They disrupted the Exeter set piece on regular occasions and their defensive effort was admirable, but allowing the hosts to keep the ball for long periods wore them down.

No more was this evident than for Nowell’s try; after repeatedly picking and driving on the Gloucester line, sucking in the defence, Joe Simmonds slung a wide pass to Nowell who was allowed to walk in almost unchallenged. Five minutes later Nowell scored his second; after quick deft hands from Slade, Nowell crashed into three Gloucester defenders only to then find them all fall away from him, and he cantered away to score.

“We’re Still taking it game by game” – Nowell

From then on, the Chiefs were in cruise-control. Steenson grabbed the game’s final try when, after miscommunication from Gloucester’s Ed Slater, his pass dropped to nobody, and Steenson swept it up and ran in unopposed.

Exeter coach Ali Hepher was pleased with the result and, when asked about the Chief’s semi-final prospects after the game, was keen to stress “we’re still taking it game by game… but, with the amount of conditioning we’ve got into ourselves today, we kept pushing right the way to the end and that will help us in the latter stages of the season.”

Exeter winger Jack Nowell, after grabbing two tries, was delighted by the side’s performance: “to be able to come back into a team that’s playing so well makes it a lot easier.” Nowell, like the rest of the squad, is determined to challenge for the Premiership title and emulate last year’s success, and length lay-offs with injury have actually left the England star feeling fresh for the season’s knockout phase.

With Saracens’ imperious win away at Northampton on Saturday the top two places look all but set, and both teams will relish the opportunity to play their respective semi-finals in front of their own fans. If the roaring atmosphere of today’s sell-out affair was anything to go by, it will be a struggle for any visiting side to come away from Sandy Park with a win.

Chiefs clinch spot in Anglo-Welsh Cup final after thrilling comeback

Exeter Chiefs overturned a 14-point deficit to beat Newcastle Falcons 20-17 in the Anglo-Welsh cup semi-final at Sandy Park on Sunday, in an excellent encounter.

Following an error-ridden first-half from the domestic Champions, alongside some clinical and slick finishing from the Falcons in attack, Exeter turned the tables emphatically on their opponents in the second period.

A try and two nerveless penalties through the posts from man-of-the-match Joe Simmonds sends Exeter to a fourth consecutive Anglo-Welsh Cup final in a row – a South-West derby against Bath on Sunday at Kingsholm in Gloucester.

On a windy afternoon at Sandy Park, Exeter, playing in their pink strip, started off much the better side, with ex-Argentinian international Santiago Cordero exploiting a gap in the Newcastle defence to set up scrum-half Stu Townsend to score under the posts after three minutes.

Newcastle, the most in-form team in the Premiership as they push for a top 4 spot, responded well though, and whilst Exeter failed to add to their points tally for the rest of the half, the Falcons slowly but surely crept their way back into the match. Following a penalty from ex-England star Toby Flood in the 12^th minute, a number of cheap, sloppy penalties from Exeter were eventually punished by Newcastle, with hooker Kyle Cooper reaping the rewards after Exeter failed to stop Newcastle’s driving maul set piece.

It was to get worse for Exeter in the 32^nd minute, when a lost lineout led to the visitors’ second try. A bulldozing break from number 8 Nili Latu and impressive hands from the Falcons’ backs sent Simon Hammersley over, and put Newcastle 17-7 up at the break.

“From then on in, nervous mistakes and problems created by the wind regarding open-play kicking made for a frantic last quarter of the game”

However, in the second-half, the numerous knock-ons and penalties that summed up Exeter’s unimpressive first-half display were eradicated. At scrum time, Exeter were dominant all afternoon, and a prolonged period of early second-half pressure from the Chiefs’ pack eventually led to fly-half Joe Simmonds – younger brother of England international Sam Simmonds – sidestepping his way over the try line in the 50^th minute.

From then on in, nervous mistakes and problems created by the wind regarding open-play kicking made for a frantic last quarter of the game. Another penalty conceded by Newcastle at scrum-time was capitalised by Simmonds, which was faultless all afternoon, to level up the scores.

In the last 10 minutes, both sides had their chances. Toby Flood didn’t have the distance from 32m out, but Simmonds won it for Exeter in the 77^th minute, slotting it down the middle after Newcastle were penalised for not rolling away at a ruck. The drama wasn’t over though.

Newcastle won the ball back from the restart, and earned a penalty about 35m out to the left of the posts. Replacement Joel Hodgson opted to kick for the posts, with the opportunity to force extra-time, but his kick fell just short, cueing bedlam amongst the rapturous home crowd.

For Newcastle, given their superior first-half showing, it was an opportunity missed. For Exeter, it is a chance to add more silverware to their collection following their Premiership title win last season, and their 2014 Anglo-Welsh triumph against Northampton Saints.

Exeter: Cordero; O’Flaherty, Whitten, Devoto, Short; Simmonds, Townsend; Low, Innard, Holmes, Lees, van der Sluys, Dennis, Salvi, Kvesic

Subs: Davis, Kenny, Owlett, Salmon, Horstmann, Chudley, Morley, Hendrickson

Newcastle: Hammersley; Goneva, Mermoz, Matavesi, Sinoti; Flood, Takulua; Lockwood, Cooper, Welsh, Witty, Robinson, Hogg, Welch, Latu

Subs: Socino, Vickers, Wilson, Green, Burrows, Young Hodgson, Harris

Referee: Karl Dickson

Attendance: 8,833

Exeter Chiefs ravage Montpellier in Champions Cup

Exeter Chiefs hammered Montpellier 41-10 to keep their European hopes alive, scoring five second-half tries to take them above the visitors into second place in Pool 3 of the Champions Cup.

Before the game, Head Coach Rob Baxter had stated Exeter would “fight for everything until it’s gone”. The Devon side had sat third in Pool 3, nine points behind leaders Leinster and four behind their French opponents – only two wins from their final two games would keep their European hopes alive.

The Premiership-leaders came into the game having tripped up against Newcastle. Baxter responded by bringing in a whole new front row of Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Harry Williams, whilst the returning Jonny Hill locked down alongside Mitch Lees in the second-row. In the backs, Henry Slade came in at outside centre, and Australian Lachie Turner started ahead of Phil Dollman at full-back.

The first ten minutes were a cagey affair. Montpellier gained the better of the early exchanges, taking the kick-off well and settling with ball in hand before working their way into Chiefs’ territory. Exeter responded from a scrum on their 22, driving Montpellier back to win a penalty, but like the French side they couldn’t capitalise on their advantage as both packs found their feet.

The French side were content to play at a leisurely pace, ambling from set-piece to set-piece an relying on the trickery of scrum-half Gela Aprasidze to create a spark, and some space, for the outside-backs. Relying on their forward power nearly dividends – at a lineout on the Exeter 22, captain Louis Picamoles broke free from the maul before being hauled down by the Exeter scramble defence just short of the line.

“The french side were content to play at an ambling pace”

Exeter finally found some territorial respite in the 18^th minute when number-eight Sam Simmonds won a penalty at the breakdown on halfway. Gareth Steenson kicked to the corner, and after initially failing to make any headway, the Chiefs kept the visitors pinned to their try-line. The home side squeezed a scrum from the Montpellier maul and looked set to finally get off the mark as a series of drives by the forwards took them up to the whitewash. Jonny Hill bundled over the try-line but failed to control his grounding, a big hit from Springbok Bismarck du Plessis dislodging the ball as the second-row powered over, to the displeasure of the Exeter coaching staff.

Baxter and co. didn’t despair for long, however, as the opening score finally arrived just before the half-hour. A big run by second-row Mitch Lees through a gap in midfield brought the Chiefs into the 22. The ball was recycled and loose-head Ben Moon, Simmonds, and blindside-flanker Don Armand took the Chiefs to within five metres of the try-line before the men-in-pink made amends for their earlier inaccuracy. Ewers drove over with the support of his forwards to claim the opening score on the 27^th minute, Steenson added a comfortable conversion, and the Chiefs led 7-0.

Former Chiefs player Nemani Nandolo was providing an excellent physical threat for the visitors, putting them on the front foot from first-phase ball, but Montpellier struggled to take advantage of his good work. One such carry nearly led to a reply for Montpellier as a grubber kick across the line was nullified by winger Olly Woodburn under pressure, but this was as close as the visitors came in the first period.

As it was, Exeter nearly added to their try in fortuitous circumstances. A long clearing kick downfield by the Chiefs was chased well by Lachie Turner, and the full-back smothered winger Gabriel Ngandebe’s kick. The ball bounced favourably for the Australian who claimed it at pace, dancing along the touchline before diving unopposed to the delight of the home fans. Unfortunately their joy was short-lived, as referee Nigel Owens consulted the TMO, revealing Turner’s foot was narrowly in touch.

The last chance of the half fell to Montpellier. With Aprasidze marshalling his pack, Montpellier went through the phases to get within 3 metres of the try-line, and a creaking Chiefs defence looked certain to break despite the laborious manner of the attack. Picamoles’ frustration at the lack of speed saw him dive off his feet at a breakdown to speed it up. Owens penalised the number-eight, and that brought the half to a close.

The Chiefs began the second-half brightly. A neat move saw Slade, Sam Hill and Ian Whitten combined on the right to make a half break. The chance came to nothing as Whitten’s ambitious offload from tight to the touchline drifted forward, and although the ball was dotted down, play was brought back by referee Nigel Owens for the infringement to dampen the encouraging start.

“a bright start to the second half”

On 50 minutes, Bismarck du Plessis won turnover ball on halfway to give Montpellier a platform. Their good forward drive took them into the Chiefs 22, but the men in pink held firm, choking the French pack to claim the turnover. Despite the ability in the Montpellier back-line – alongside Nadolo, Henry Immelman looked threatening running back kick-receipt ball, and World Cup winner Aaron Cruden stood at outside-half – the visitors persisted in keeping it tight, and it was Exeter who were showing the greater adventure of the two teams.

Eventually, Cruden did get an opportunity to show his skills, dancing his way past an inside shoulder to release Picamoles. The French side earned a penalty from Hill lying offside, and Cruden rejected the kick at goal in swirling conditions to put Montpellier five metres out. From the line-out, a solid drive went to ground, and the Chiefs were penalised for their use of hands. This time, Cruden slotted the three points from just to the left of the posts and secure the visitors’ first points on 52 minutes.

From here on in it was all Exeter. The Chiefs responded by claiming the restart, Sam Hill exploiting the space in the French side’s backline to nearly go over with support outside, but the home side didn’t panic. The forwards taking over and Sam Simmonds went over the top of a ruck, stretching over to claim the easily-converted score by the base of the left post.

Shortly afterwards, scrum-half Nic White produced a lovely behind-the-back pass to send slade away Slade, and the England man was pulled down on the line. Montpellier did well to hold up the powerful Lees over the try-line, but there was little they could do from the resulting scrum on 58 minutes.

White picked up from a solid set-piece, sending a ball behind the back of Hill to Steenson. The Irishman’s loose pass forced Woodburn to check his run, but the winger produced a wonderful acrobatical finish in the corner to finish off the move. Steenson failed to land the extras from wide on the left touch-line, but at 19-3 with over a quarter still to play, Exeter could turn their attention to gaining the bonus-point.

The game nearly ended as a contest just after the hour. A loose clearing kick by Montpellier gifted Exeter territory in the French side’s 22, and despite replacement Matt Kvesic wriggling over the line, after a long look from the TMO the try was disallowed.

With fifteen minutes to play the Chiefs did get their bonus-point. From a scrum in front of the Montpellier posts, White employed the same wrap-around ball that rewarded them earlier. Despite another poor pass from Steenson, Woodburn produced an even better soaring finish than his first under pressure from Joe Tomane and Immelman. This time, the TMO could find no reason to chalk off the score, and Steenson added a glorious fade to his conversion to secure the extras – Exeter led 26-3.

“the chiefs were ruthless”

Four minutes later White grabbed Exeter’s fifth. Simmonds broke from the base of a scrum of halfway to almost score an incredible try himself. Instead, his run set up a solid set of phases, and Montpellier’s passive defence was eventually exploited as White saw a gap to the left of a ruck, dotting down on the blindside. Steenson couldn’t convert, but at 31-3 the Chiefs fans were in raptures.

Montpellier’s heart was clearly gone by this point – having seemed so evenly poised at half-time, it was an utterly one-sided affair in the second. The Chiefs took the opportunity to empty their bench and with six minutes to play Don Armand claimed Exeter’s sixth try following good work by the forwards from the back of a solid scrum.

With three minutes to play, Montpellier had their first sniff since Cruden’s penalty, making their way from deep up to the Exeter line. A glorious cross-field dink by New-Zealander Cruden was claimed by Nadolo, and the Fijian winger twisted mid-air to claim and ground the ball. Cruden nailed the conversion from far on the left with a minute to play and bring Montpellier in to double figures.

Exeter still had time to rubber-stamp the victory as replacement Joe Simmonds sent a penalty over with time up and cap what could be a season-defining 41-10 victory for the Chiefs.

Rob Baxter, Exeter Chiefs Head Coach: “We were very, very good today; tactically, emotionally, we got it right. It was a tough game for a long period.”

“The game went away from [Montpellier] because we played very well. We turned up and performed individually and collectively very well – the outcome sorted itself out.”

“We’ve got to move on from this one very quickly. We’ve given ourselves a fantastic opportunity next week. It’ll be a big challenge against a full-on Glasgow side.”

Venue: Sandy Park
Date: Saturday, 13 December, 2018
Kick-off: 15:15 GMT

Exeter (7) 41

Tries: Ewers, Simmonds, Woodburn 2, White, Armand Cons: Steenson 3, J Simmonds Pens: J Simmonds

Montpellier (0) 10
Tries: Nadolo Cons: Cruden Pens: Cruden

TEAMS

Exeter Chiefs: Lachie Turner; Ian Whitten, Henry Slade, Sam Hill, Olly Woodburn; Gareth Steenson © (J Simmonds 69’), Nic White (Chudley 69’); Ben Moon (Hepburn 54’), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Yeandle X’), Harry Williams (Francis 65’); Mitch Lees, Jonny Hill; Dave Ewers, Don Armand, Sam Simmonds (Salmon 69’)

Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Alec Hepburn, Tomas Francis, Toby Slamon, Matt Kvesic; Will Chudley, Joe Simmonds, Phil Dollman

Montpellier: Henry Immelman; Gabiel Ngandebe, Francois Steyn (Mogg 69’), Jan Serfontein (Tomane 60’), Nemani Nadolo; Aaron Cruden, Gela Aprasidze; Mikeil Nariashvili (Fichten 45’), Bismarck du Plessis, Johannes Jonker (Haouas 40’); Nico van Rensburg, Konstantin Mikautadze (Delannoy 62’); Julien Bardy, Yacouba Camara (Galletier 57’), Louis Picamoles ©

Replacements: Romain Ruffenach, Gregory Fichten, Mohamed Haouas, Julien Delannoy, Kelian Galletier; Jesse Mogg, Joe Tomane, Benjamin Fall

Referee: Nigel Owens

Man of the Match: Olly Woodburn

Attendance: 11, 427

Chiefs triumph in battle of the South West

Venue: Sandy Park
Date: Saturday, 2 December
Kick-off: 14:00 GMT

Exeter (28) 42

Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Short, Lees, Armand, Waldrom, Steenson Cons: Steenson 6

Bath (3) 29
Tries: Joseph, Watson, Brew, Banahan Con: Joseph, Priestland 2 Pen: Burns

Exeter Chiefs extended their lead at the top of the Aviva Premiership, hammering Bath 42-29. An utterly dominant display saw the home side claim a try-bonus point before half-time before three tries in the final 10 minutes for Bath gave the result a semblance of respectability.

Going into the game, Exeter had won five on the bounce in the Aviva Premiership. Their 18-20 victory over Saracens last week sent them to the top of the table, and with the Allianz outfit away to Harlequins on Sunday, this was an opportunity for the Chiefs to put pressure on the chasing pack by extending their lead at the summit.

Welcoming back two thirds of their England contingent – Harry Williams and Sam Simmonds, the latter on the bench – Head Coach Rob Baxter made five changes from the team that defeated Saracens: Williams was joined by Alec Hepburn and Luke Cowan-Dickie in the front-row, James Short was picked on the wing, and former Exeter University second-row Sam Skinner came in for Jonny Hill.

The men in black got off to the perfect start, settling quickly with ball in hand. After five minutes of near-constant possession, a lovely short ball from fly-half and captain Gareth Steenson put Williams through a gap and take the Chiefs up into the Bath 22.

A great carry and offload by Mitch Lees to Thomas Waldrom took them up to the line. The Chiefs are ruthless from such positions, and it proved to be the case, with a series of pick-and-goes culminating in Cowan-Dickie driving over. Steenson added the conversion from in front – 7-0 to Exeter after seven minutes.

Ten minutes later and Exeter had their second score. Following a lineout on halfway, Exeter moved it to the left where full-back Phil Dollman’s half-break had Bath scrambling in defence. Dollman fed Waldrom, moving the ball back the other way, and following some nice hands Short leapt for the corner, profiting from some weak Bath defence. Steenson landed a fantastic kick from wide on the left touchline to convert the try.

Having narrowly claimed victory in the same fixture last season, Bath – without Taulupe Faletau, who was on Wales duty – never came close to repeating the feat. Despite having been starved of possession in the opening quarter, Todd Blackadder’s side insisted on kicking for territorial position, something Dollman, Woodburn and Short lapped up, running the ball back with interest.

It took until just before the half-hour point for Bath to get off the mark. A penalty on halfway gave Freddie Burns the opportunity to kick to touch; from the resulting lineout, a petulant push by Cowan-Dickie gave Burns the chance to kick for goal. Despite jeers from the home crowd, having had so little opportunity in attack, it was the correct decision and Burns nailed the three-pointer.
If Bath had hoped that would trigger a comeback it was in vain. Their loose set up at the restart allowed Exeter to reclaim the ball in the opposition’s 22. When the forwards took them underneath the posts once more, Lees bundled over the line to make it 21-3 after just half an hour.

The Somerset side still knocked on the door, but the Chiefs’ power at the breakdown shut down any momentum they could produce, forcing Burns to kick the ball away. Exeter were now chasing their fourth try before half-time – however unthinkable that may have been prior to kick-off, it fully reflected their dominance on the park.

They nearly grabbed it when Waldrom powered over in the corner but the number 8’s foot was in touch. Exeter weren’t to be denied for long, however; two minutes later and, once again, Exeter’s forwards took them underneath the posts and five metres from the Bath try-line. If not quite identical – Don Armand drove over to the right of the sticks – there was still a distinct inevitability whenever Exeter got in such positions. The bonus-point try was converted by Steenson to add salt to Bath’s wounds.

At 28-3 with the first-half drawing to a close, Bath needed a quick response. Full-back Anthony Watson and centre Ben Tapuai were threatening with ball in hand to put Exeter on the back foot. Scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i marshalled his forwards into the Exeter 22 for the most promising play of the game. However, Exeter were simply too strong at the ruck, and following several slow breakdowns, Cowan-Dickie got in over the ball to kill the attack – the referee pinging Bath for holding on – and, as the half-time whistle went, the game as a contest.

If Bath had hoped to make amends in the second-half it didn’t take long for Exeter to banish any hopes of redemption. The forwards hammered away to provide the platform, and despite good work from the backs – Sam Hill, Ian Whitten, Short and Dollman were particularly prominent – the fifth try just evaded the home side in the first ten minutes of the second period before arriving on 54 minutes.

Dollman broke in the wide channels before feeding Skinner – a persistent force in both the tight and the loose. Waldrom cropped up in the midfield and, finding space in the Bath defence, beat a course to the line for the most popular try of the afternoon.

Bath had a period of pressure under the Exeter posts, but where the Chiefs were utterly ruthless in the same position, the away side toiled without any reward. Instead, it was Short who nearly scored: picking up a loose ball deep in his own half, the winger hared down the field beating several defenders with his pace – only for Watson to produce an excellent cover tackle to pull him into touch.

With fifteen minutes to play, Bath were now playing for pride, and following Watson’s heroic effort, it was another Lions player – Jonathan Joseph – who made a key contribution. With Exeter pressing for a sixth try, the ball was hacked on by Joseph and the outside-centre regathered the kick to race in under the posts, quickly converting his own score.

Once again Bath’s set up at the restart proved costly. With the forwards relishing the opportunity to hammer at the Bath line, space opened up on the left for captain Steenson to dive over unopposed – another popular scorer with the home crowd. The fly-half then landed a fantastic kick from the flank to make the score 42-10 with just over ten minutes to play.

Considering the firepower in Bath’s backline – Rokoduguni and Aled Brew had been anonymous all game – Exeter could be happy with the way they completely nullified the visitors’ threat. Rhys Priestland’s introduction, however, changed that, and Bath threw caution in the wind in the final ten minutes to score three more tries and secure a try-bonus point of their own.

The first came following a clever dink by Priestland in his own half. Tapuai gathered, and his neat interplay with replacement Chris Cook gave Watson the chance to slide over in the corner. This was quickly followed by another: Matt Banahan broke down the left, and when the ball came infield, a lovely lofted pass by Priestland found fellow Welshman Brew. The winger slid over in the corner despite the close attention of the Exeter defence, and following a long look from the TMO, the try was awarded.

With time almost up, Exeter needlessly gave Bath a shot at a fourth by turning possession over at the breakdown. The resulting scrum was a solid platform for Bath, and Banahan powered through a weak shoulder from first-phase ball to claim give Bath something to show for their efforts, Priestland converting to cap an impressive cameo.

Despite the scoreline, this was a fantastic display by the Chiefs, albeit tempered by a slightly less impressive final ten minutes. The comeback, however, was similarly reflective of Bath’s potency more than any deficiency from the home side. Exeter Forwards coach Rob Hunter admitted as much: he said. “They are a good side, they were always going to come back into it.”

“It was very pleasing to get out the blocks and get ahead as we did. We’ve given them a bonus point in the last 20 that they didn’t need, but in the first 50-60 minutes we were outstanding”. The Chiefs return to Sandy Park next week when they face Leinster in the Champions Cup.

Exeter Chiefs: Dollman; Woodburn, Whitten, S Hill, Short; Steenson (capt), White; Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie, Williams, Lees, Skinner, Armand, Kvesic, Waldrom.

Replacements: Yeandle, Moon, Holmes, J Hill, S Simmonds, Chudley, J Simmonds, Nowell

Bath: Watson; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Tapuai, Brew; Burns, Fotuali’i, Obano, Dunn, Perenise, Ewels, Charteris, Garvey (capt), Mercer, Grant

Replacements: van Vuuren, Auterac, Lahiff, Stooke, Phillips, Cook, Priestland, Banahan

Attendance: 12,800
MOM: Sam Skinner (Exeter)