Exeter Chiefs Edge Clear After Vital Success

01/04/2025 16:23 Share

Exeter Chiefs Edge Clear After Vital Success

Exeter Chiefs moved clear of the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership with a key victory at the end of March as the team returned to league action following the conclusion of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Having progressed to the knock-out stages of the cup during February, March kicked off with the Vertu-backed side moving into the quarter-finals of the competition and a home game against Sale.

Josh Hodge, Paul Brown-Bampoe and Tom Wyatt – twice – all scored in the first half as Exeter took control at Sandy Park to lead their Premiership rivals 29-7.

Going further clear in the second half, Brown-Bampoe, Greg Fisilau and Jacques Vermuelen put the icing on the cake as Exeter progressed with ease by a score of 50-14.

That set up a semi-final against Ealing Trailfinders, who shocked Northampton in their game to make the final four.

Looking to cause another upset, Ealing took the lead through an early penalty before a converted try from Craig Hampson, but the Chiefs came back to lead 14-10 at the break thanks to a try from Hodge that he then converted, followed by a penalty try.

Ealing continued to press after the break however, and Reuben Bird-Tulloch and Matt Cornish both managed to pierce the Exeter defence to put the visitors into a 24-14 lead.

Exeter had to respond and Ethan Roots reduced the gap before Tommy Wyatt’s try with ten minutes to go edged the home side back in front, ultimately securing a spot in the final with a 28-24 win.

Going up against Bath in the final, the Chiefs took the lead through Christ Tshiunza, with Scott Sio also going over the first half as Exeter trailed by three points at the break.

In the second half however, Bath took control of the game with 31 unanswered points to leave the Chiefs to settle for the runner-up spot.

Following the end of the Six Nations, league action then resumed with a trip to Bristol Bears, with four tries in the opening ten minutes of the game – two for each side – providing an indication of what was to come.

Bristol took a 40-24 lead by half-time and although the Chiefs outscored their rivals in the second half, it wasn’t enough as the Bears emerged from a high-scoring affair with a 52-38 success.

The final game of the month was a huge tie back at Sandy Park against Newcastle Eagles, with the Chiefs taking an early lead thanks to Will Rigg only for the visitors to reply through Joe Davis and Max Clark to take the lead at half-time by just three points.

A scrappy second half remained scoreless until the closing moments when Greg Fisilau dived over in the corner to seal a win that moves the Chiefs ten points clear of Newcastle and to within eight points of Northampton.

A home game with Bath and a trip to Gloucester are scheduled for April.

March Results: