Tigers 45 Chiefs 15
Leicester Tigers 45
Exeter Chiefs 15
Mark Stevens at Welford Road
If last weekend’s LV= Cup victory marked the champagne moment for Exeter Chiefs so far this season, Rob Baxter’s side were handed a sobering thought at Welford Road as Leicester Tigers maintained their push for the Aviva Premiership play-offs with a convincing six-try performance.
Richard Cockerill’s Tigers were in ruthless mood on their return to top flight action, mauling their Devon rivals with a vintage display that reaped tries for Manu Tuilagi, Logovi’i Mulipola, Vereniki Goneva, Adam Thompstone and a brace for Frenchman David Mele.
Owen Williams and Toby Flood slotted the remainder of the points for the Tigers who, on this display, will certainly be there or thereabouts come the end of season shake-up.
The Chiefs countered with tries from Jack Yeandle and Ian Whitten, as well as five points from the boot of fly-half Henry Slade, but they were rare highlights on a difficult day for the men from the Westcountry.
Fresh from that LV= Cup success, the Chiefs made two changes to their winning line-up from seven days earlier. England star Jack Nowell returned on the right wing at the expense of Matt Jess, whilst the injured Chris Whitehead was replaced in the middle of the front-row by the fit-again Yeandle.
Nowell’s international team-mate, flanker Tom Johnson, was also back in the fray following his latest run-out in the Six Nations, but the all-action forward was only afforded a place on the bench on his return to Exeter colours.
Like their rivals, the Tigers were also buoyed by the return of their England contingent, including Tom Youngs and Tuilagi, the latter of whom was making his first home appearance since the opening month of the season.
The powerful 22-year-old centre recently returned from a five-month absence due to a chest muscle injury to feature in Leicester’s win at Newcastle Falcons and then gained his 22nd England cap in last weekend’s win over Italy in Rome.
Also included was Scott Hamilton - a late call-up after Mathew Tait pulled out prior to kick-off through injury - whilst scrum-half Ben Youngs was making his 100th starting appearance, joining father Nick in becoming only the second father-and-son duo to reach the milestone in the club’s history.
It was, however, the Chiefs who were first to show in the East Midlands. Having absorbed early Leicester pressure, the Chiefs made their first inroads into Tigers territory pay dividends as Slade slotted them in front with a seventh-minute penalty after the home side were penalised for coming in at the side.
Exeter’s advantage proved short-lived as within a minute the Tigers claimed their opening try of the day. A bulldozing run from Tuilagi set the ball rolling as he showed little respect for Nowell, flooring the young Cornishman before linking cleverly with Goneva, who in turn was able to feed the ball back to the centre who was able to coast in from 15 metres out.
One try soon became two for the Tigers, who added to their tally when Fijian force Goneva tore through the middle before offloading to Mulipola who, like a rampaging rhino in the African bush, flattened everything that dared to stand in his way. Sadly it was Nowell, who again felt the full force as the Samoan prop bashed past the Exeter winger before running in under the sticks for Williams to convert.
Leicester’s attacking play was certainly impressive - particularly through Tuilagi and Goneva - who were causing no end of havoc with their wrecking-ball mentality. The duo were at the heart of all the home side’s attacks and it came as no surprise when Cockerill’s men extended their lead with a penalty from the right boot of Williams.
The Chiefs appeared somewhat shell-shocked at the sheer ferocity of the Tigers play. However, they responded valiantly as they reduced the deficit with a rare foray into the home 22.
Having won a penalty to the corner, Exeter’s initial catch-and-drive move was thwarted illegally by the hosts, but when they tried for a second time their efforts came to fruition as hooker Yeandle squeezed his way over wide on the left for the try, which Slade converted with aplomb from the touchline.
It was just the tonic the Chiefs needed in what was proving a one-sided first 40 minutes.
But no sooner had Devon’s finest hauled themselves back into the game, the lethal Goneva produced a moment of magic to floor Baxter’s side once more. Collecting the ball on the burst, the talented Islander brushed aside two tacklers before producing some fancy footwork - more akin to that of Strictly Come Dancing rather than Premiership Rugby - to bamboozle Luke Arscott and jog in under the posts.
Williams slotted the extras to that score and a further penalty whilst Chiefs skipper Dean Mumm was sidelined for a high tackle on the Welshman to give the home side a comfortable lead at the turn
HALF TIME LEICESTER TIGERS 25 EXETER CHIEFS 10
Mumm returned to the fray soon after the resumption, but the Aussie’s first real involvement was to watch as Williams fired the Tigers further in front as the Chiefs scrum was dismantled deep inside their own 22.
Baxter looked to his bench for some kind of pick-me-up, bringing on Jess and Gareth Steenson into the back division, but it was the 10-times champions of England who continued to rule the roost in all facets of play.
Williams was being given an armchair ride behind the juggernaut Tigers pack who, having again pressed hard in attack, laid the foundations for the all-important fourth try on 54 minutes.
Leicester’s pack of eight did the initial donkey work before the ball was cleverly shipped from wide side of the field to the other where winger Thompstone was able to accept the gift pass and cross in the left-hand corner.
With a mountain the size of Everest to overcome, the Chiefs did their best to plot a course back into the contest. As always Irishman Ian Whitten looked lively, creating no end of havoc with a couple of canters down field, whilst the introduction of Don Armand, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tom Johnson up front also helped to bring a new lease of life to Exeter’s cause.
The Tigers, though, were proving miserly in defence. You don’t get to be English kings as often as they have without having something about you. They happily soaked up the Chiefs pressure before trucking back down field to get themselves on the front foot once more.
A succession of five-metre scrums initially did not proving telling for the Tigers, but when they tried yet again - the home pack wheeled the set-piece round sufficiently for Chiefs-bound Thomas Waldrom to pick up from the base before feeding Frenchman Mele who did the rest from close range. Flood obliged with the additional conversion to put his side 30 points clear.
To their credit, the Chiefs refused to throw the towel in. Instead, they continued to showcase the same attacking intent that has served them so well for large parts of the current campaign.
Pressing hard in attack, good work from Horstmann and Johnson down the left created the space for Whitten to add a second try of the game.
Sadly, it was mere consolation for the Chiefs, who in the dying minutes were lucky to escape when replacement Graham Kitchener almost sent Jamie Gibson over for a firth score with just four minutes remaining.
Luckily a forward pass from Flood earlier in the attack ensured it denied the home flanker, who appeared destined to score until Mumm grabbed hold of him just yards from the line.
Leicester, though, were far from finished and having again set up camp deep inside the Chiefs 22 with a five-metre scrum, Exeter-bound Thomas Waldrom picked up from the base to feed Mele, who duly added the coupe de grace with just a minute remaining.
Tigers: S Hamilton (M Smith 69); V Goneva, M Tuilagi, A Allen, A Thompstone; O Williams (T Flood 59), B Youngs (D Mele 66); M Ayerza (B Stankovich 68), T Youngs (R Hawkins 64), L Mulipola (F Balmain 59); L Deacon (G Kitchener 53), E Slater (capt); J Gibson, J Salvi, J Crane (T Waldrom 64).
Tries - Tuilagi, Mulipola, Goneva, Thompstone, Mele (2); Conversions - Williams (2), Flood; Penalties - Williams (3)
Chiefs: L Arscott; J Nowell (M Jess h/t), I Whitten, P Dollman, F Vainikolo (G Steenson 46); H Slade, D Lewis (H Thomas 75); B Moon (C Rimmer 54), J Yeandle (L Cowan-Dickie 54), H Tui (A Brown 54); D Mumm (capt), D Welch (D Armand 52); D Ewers, B White (T Johnson 52), K Horstmann.
Tries - Yeandle, Whitten; Conversion - Slade; Penalty - Slade
Yellow Card: Mumm
Referee: D Richards
Attendance: 23,466
UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v Gloucester (H), Aviva Premiership, Saturday, March 29 (3pm)