Exeter Seek Fresh Start After Difficult Run
Exeter Chiefs will look for a fresh start in the upcoming Premiership Rugby Cup after two more losses in a tough league campaign.
The Vertu Motors-backed side had suffered four straight defeats to kick off the season but made the long trip to Newcastle confident of success against a team that had suffered 25 straight defeats.
Exeter grabbed the lead early on when Immanuel Feyi-Waboso dived over in the corner after just four minutes but the Falcons came back to hit the front when a Philip van der Walt try was converted by Ethan Grayson.
Two penalties from Josh Hodge gave the Chiefs an 11-7 lead, but a converted try from Jamie Blamire meant it was the home side who held a slender advantage at half-time.
Exeter were paying the price for a number of mistakes, and the Falcons took advantage 15 minutes into the second half when Blamire scored his second try, and a drop goal from Grayson saw the lead extended to 24-11 with little more than ten minutes to go.
Hodge dived over late on and then added the extras to reduce the deficit to 24-18 but the clock was against the Chiefs and the whistle blew before there was the opportunity to grab a last gasp win.
Exeter returned to Sandy Park keen to avoid the unwanted record of a sixth-successive defeat, but it was rivals Harlequins who dominated the early stages before taking the lead through Oscar Beard.
With Jarrod Evans failing to convert, Exeter were able to battle back to take the lead when a Ross Vintcent try was converted by the returning Henry Slade, but it would be a short-lived advantage for the home side.
Quick tries from Rodrigo Isgro and Will Evans – both of which were converted – extended the advantage before Will Rigg narrowed the gap down to five points at half-time.
Harlequins would dominate the second half however, with two further tries and a penalty ultimately helping to secure a 36-19 win, with an unconverted try from Ben Hammersley being the sole reply.