Braves 45 Welsh 7

Exeter Braves 45

London Welsh 7

Mark Stevens at Sandy Park

Jack Nowell marked his return to competitive action with a try double as he helped the Exeter Braves ease to victory over London Welsh in the Aviva Premiership A League at Sandy Park.

Taking to the field for the first time since March, the 21-year-old showed he was back to his devastating best with a 35-minute run-out that augurs well for all Exeter supporters.

As well as Nowell, Ceri Sweeney, Tom James, Jack Arnott, Sam Skinner and Joel Conlon all crossed in an impressive display from the Devonians.

Welsh countered with a first half penalty try, which Tristan Roberts converted, but that was as good as it got for the Premiership newcomers.

Having opened their A League account with a 50-24 defeat at Saracens, it was a much stronger Braves side that took to the field against the visiting Exiles.

Up front, Sireli Naqelevuki, James Scaysbrook and Don Armand were all afforded starts; whilst behind a star-studded back division was headed up by Nowell, who was playing his first game since he was injured at Leicester Tigers last March.

The England international started on the right wing, while on the other flank Fetu’u Vainikolo was also getting his first taste of action this season after recovering from a shoulder injury.

And it didn’t take the Cornishman long to remind the Chiefs faithful of what they have been missing in his absence. With just nine minutes played, Nowell collected a pass just inside the Welsh half before setting off a dazzling run that left the opposition simply bamboozled.

He danced his way past at least a handful of defenders with his fancy footwork, before dotting down under the sticks for Sweeney to convert with ease.

Moments later and he was celebrating again, this time finishing with aplomb after Tongans Vainikolo and Elvis Taione had created mayhem in the Welsh defence with a couple of charging runs. Sadly, Sweeney’s testing kick from wide on the right, cannoned back off the right post.

The Braves were ruling the roost and they came within a whisker of adding a third try midway through the first period as they turned defence into an almost deadly counter-attack.

With Welsh pressing hard in attack, a sloppy pass in midfield saw the Braves pounce with Vainikolo doing his best footballing impression as he fly-hacked the ball downfield from almost his own 22. As a trail of defenders tracked the winger, he was adjudged to have knocked on just inches from the line following a quick consultation between referee David Proctor and one of his touch judges.

It proved a momentary let-off for the Exiles, who shipped a third try just past the half-hour mark. Positioning themselves deep inside the Welsh 22 with a scrum, the hosts worked the ball to the left where Sweeney was able to coast over with ease for a score he also converted.

Nowell departed stage left at the restart, his return to action proving fruitful, and replacement James took just 35 seconds to pick up from where his team-mate had left, latching onto some excellent work from Naqelevuki to add a fourth try.

Facing a mountain to climb, Welsh looked to find a way back into the contest as the half drew towards a close. A succession of penalties positioned them deep inside enemy territory from which home prop Brett Sturgess was eventually yellow-carded for persistent infringing.

With the man advantage, Welsh continued to pile on the pressure at scrum time and - at the seventh attempt - referee Proctor decided enough was enough as he went under the sticks for a penalty try that Roberts duly converted.

HALF TIME EXETER BRAVES 24 LONDON WELSH 7

Any hopes there would be some respite for Welsh in the second half were quickly extinguished as it took the home side just four minutes to add a fifth try.

The impressive Vainikolo created the initial havoc with one of his trademark bursts, before Sweeney switched a lovely pass back inside to the onrushing Arnott, who scorched over for the converted score.

With the game effectively over as a contest, the Braves took the option to run their bench with introductions for young guns such as Messrs Stanley, Conlon, Townsend and May.

Likewise, Welsh also introduced fresh muscle from the sidelines - and with it the game became somewhat fragmented as the new stock took time to bed in somewhat.

Indeed, the highlight of a subdued period of the game came when Braves No.8 Armand produced a terrific hand-off to fend away Welsh winger Joe Ajuwa as he look to halt the former Stormers man on the run.

The Braves, though, were not finished and they added a sixth try when Arnott and James combined to deadly effect to set-up Skinner, who ploughed over from close range to score.

Arnott added the extras to the captain’s score and Exeter’s seventh which duly arrived when replacement Conlon was able to glide under the posts to make it 45-7.

Even then the Braves could have added a further score with the last play of the game, but Greg Bateman was denied by the officials for a knock-on.

Next up for the Braves is next Monday’s home encounter with Bath United, kick-off for that game is at 7:30pm.

Braves: J Arnott; J Nowell (T James 35), M Bodilly, A Hughes, F Vainikolo; C Sweeney (L May 62), P Phibbs (S Townsend 50); B Sturgess (K Davies 70), E Taione (G Bateman h/t), A Brown (J Stanley 62); S Skinner (capt), W Carrick-Smith (J Sexton 68); S Naqelevuki (K Davies 40-47, J Conlon 47), J Scaysbrook, D Armand.

Tries - Nowell (2), Sweeney, James, Arnott, Skinner, Conlon; Conversions - Sweeney (3), Arnott (2)

Yellow Card: Sturgess

Welsh: C Elder; R Crane (C Corrigan 67), J Lewis (W Robinson 47), G Bolton, J Ajuwa; T Roberts, R Lewis (P Rowley 47); P Henn (B Cooper 50), K Britton (M Dobson 47), E Aholelei (J Gilding 34, P Hann 75); J McNally, J Down (C Smith 58); J Liston, A Brown, B Pienaar (capt, J Harris 56).

Try - Penalty Try; Conversion - Roberts

Referee: D Proctor

Attendance: 1,379

UP NEXT FOR THE BRAVES: v Bath United (H), Monday, September 22 (7.30pm)