Warriors 6 Chiefs 26

Worcester Warriors 6

Exeter Chiefs 26

Mark Stevens at Sixways

Exeter Chiefs wrapped up an impressive pre-season programme by making it ‘three from three’ with victory over Dean Ryan’s Worcester Warriors at Sixways.

Having already accrued pre-season wins at Cardiff Blues and Ulster during the past fortnight, the Warriors provided the final opposition for Baxter’s side ahead of their Aviva Premiership opener against London Welsh next Sunday.

However, the Midlanders could not contain the powerful Chiefs who claimed tries through Jack Yeandle (2), Mitch Lees and Thomas Waldroms, as well as conversions from Gareth Steenson (2) and Henry Slade.

In reply, Worcester grabbed two first half penalties from Ignacio Mieres, but it was scant reward on a night when the visitors had simply too much in each department for their rivals.

Ahead of kick-off the Worcester faithful came out to pay homage to one of their most loyal servants - lock Craig Gillies, who accrued 288 appearances for the Midlanders during an 11-year stint at the club -  but it was the Chiefs who suffered an early blow.

Just 80 seconds had elapsed when scrum-half Will Chudley had to be stretchered from the field having taken a knee to the face from Worcester’s summer signing GJ Van Velze.

With fellow No.9 Dave Lewis already set to miss the start of the campaign with an elbow injury, the sight of a groggy Chudley leaving the field was the last thing Baxter needed to see.

It meant an early introduction for Haydn Thomas into the fray, but the experienced back could only watch on as former Chiefs colleague Mieres slotted the home side in front after Steenson had been adjudged to have strayed offside in midfield.

The Warriors continued to press hard in the early exchanges as full-back Chris Pennell and Tom Biggs both looked to create openings wide on the left. Thankfully the Chiefs were able to absorb the threat and having soaked up the home pressure, they responded with the first try of the game on 16 minutes.

A lengthy Steenson clearance saw winger Tom James bundle Pennell into touch just five metres from his own line - and from the resultant line-out, Damian Welch took the catch before shipping the ball to skipper Yeandle, who was driven over by his fellow forwards for the score.

Steenson saw his conversion attempt cannon back of the near post, but the Irishman made no mistake in adding the extras to Exeter’s second try which came on 26 minutes. Again a Welch take at the line-out laid the foundations for the Chiefs to work the ball inside to the onrushing Sam Hill, who have bulldozed his way through the heart of the home defence was able to offload to Lees, who coasted over for his maiden score in Exeter colours.

It was pretty ruthless stuff from the visitors, but a catalogue of needless penalties meant the Warriors were able to gain crucial field placing and points with.

Mieres landed a second penalty just past the half-hour mark and the Argentinian international should have added a third just before the break, but this time he shanked his effort wide of the right post.

Chiefs flanker Dave Ewers threatened to cause havoc in the home rearguard right on the stroke of half-time with a marauding run, but he was flattened right at the death as Baxter’s side looked to add a third score.

HALF TIME WORCESTER WARRIORS 6 EXETER CHIEFS 12

Unlike the first half, the Chiefs were quickly into their stride on the resumption. An early penalty allowed Steenson to pin the Warriors back inside their own 22 and although a first driving line-out attempt was thwarted, there was no mistake on the second as Yeandle was again propelled over the whitewash for Steenson to convert.

The Warriors look to counter almost immediately with a driving line-out of their own, but their advances were denied by some streetwise and - at times - illegal defence from the Chiefs. Referee Steve Lee was less than impressed with the tactics and issued a stern warning to skipper Yeandle over the persistent infringing.

Crucially the Warriors could not capitalise as two golden opportunities in as many minutes went begging with some sloppy handling and poor execution.

At the other end, the Chiefs were again pressing hard as they looked to claim yet more reward from another line-out, but this time the officials saw something untoward from Waldrom and the England international was duly banished to the cooler for a ten-minute stint.

Although down to 14 men, the visitors continued to look the stronger and they came within a whisker of adding a fourth try with just over ten minutes remaining. Replacements Kai Horstmann and Don Armand led the charge with close-range raids and when the ball was shipped to Ewers, he unfortunately knocked on with the line in sight.

As replacements aplenty littered the dying embers of the contest, so the tempo of a hard-fought encounter began to fade. That said, the Chiefs were still pushing hard as an intercept from Slade saw the young centre race over half the field before he was grounded by a last-gasp tackle from Pennell.

Although the young playmaker was denied on this occasion, his team-mates rallied once more and their efforts were rewarded when Waldrom was able to rumble over with the final play of the game. Slade added the touchline conversion to add the coupe de grace.

For the Chiefs it was another job well done as they now ready themselves for the ‘bread and butter’ of the Premiership and a testing date with the newly-promoted Exiles at the Kassam Stadium.

Warriors: C Pennell; S Smith (D Hammond 56), A Grove, A Symons (R Fatiaki 52, M Stelling 79), T Biggs; I Mieres (T Eden 74), J Arr (C Mulchrone 52); R Bower (V Rapava Ruskin 46), D George (N Annett 59), N Schonert (M Daniels 25); C Scotland-Williamson (J Percival 46), D Sanderson; M Williams (D O’Shea 76), M Cox (S Betty 70), GJ Van Velze (capt).

Penalties - Mieres (2)

Chiefs: C Botha; T James (I Whitten 16), H Slade, S Hill, M Jess; G Steenson (C Sweeney 70), W Chudley (H Thomas 2, S Townsend 74); C Rimmer (B Sturgess 70), J Yeandle (capt, E Taione 70), T Francis (M Low 46); M Lees (D Armand 56), D Welch (R Caldwell 30); D Ewers, B White (K Horstmann 65), T Waldrom. Replacements (not used): G Bateman, J Arnott.

Tries - Yeandle (2), Lees, Waldrom; Conversions - Steenson (2), Slade

Yellow Card: Waldrom

Referee: S Lee

Attendance: 4,953

UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v London Welsh (A), Aviva Premiership, Sunday, September 7 (2pm)