Dragons 32 Chiefs 37

Newport-Gwent Dragons 32

Exeter Chiefs 37

Mark Stevens at Rodney Parade

Defending champions Exeter Chiefs booked their place in the last four of this season’s LV= Cup with this hard-fought victory away to Newport-Gwent Dragons.

Rob Baxter’s side ran in five tries on their way to victory in Wales through Adam Hughes, Fetu’u Vainikolo, Tom James, Sam Skinner and a Penalty Try, but they were made to fight all the way by the Welsh region who themselves ran in four touchdowns of their own during a points-filled second half.

It was no more than the Chiefs - whose other points came courtesy of former Dragons ace Ceri Sweeney - deserved in a forward-dominated display at Rodney Parade.

Having already booked their place in the last eight of Europe with their victory over Bayonne, Baxter’s team were now aiming to advance to the latter stages of the Anglo-Welsh competition that they won last March against Northampton Saints.

Not surprisingly, Baxter took the opportunity to rest a number of his frontline stars, allowing instead other members of the first-team ranks to showcase their talents. Indeed, of the starting XV against the Frenchmen, only Ian Whitten remained in place.

Despite the re-jig in personnel, the Chiefs weathered an early Dragons storm to open the scoring on seven minutes when Hughes, one of two former Dragons in the Exeter ranks, pounced on a wayward Newport pass to race clear of the cover and dot down for the opening try, which Sweeney converted with aplomb from wide on the left touchline.

One try soon became two as another incisive break from Hughes saw him cause mayhem in the home ranks - and although he was felled just short of the line, Haydn Thomas was quickly on the scene to feed Vainikolo, who crossed unopposed in the left-hand corner.

The Welsh region briefly countered with a straight-forward penalty from Tom Prydie only for Sweeney to do likewise after the home side were pulled up for straying offside just inside their own half.

With the Chiefs ruling the roost upfront, particularly at scrum time where Tomas Francis was having a field day against former Exeter prop Lloyd Fairbrother, it came as little surprise when the Devonians extended their advantage.

With Fairbrother sent to the sidelines for persistent infringing, replacement Owen Evans fared little better on his arrival as the might of ‘Donny Tommy’ saw him milk another penalty that Sweeney dispatched with ease to make it 18-3 on the half-hour.

Both sides had further chances before the interval to add to the scoreline, but it was the home side who did reduce the deficit when Prydie landed his second penalty of the afternoon.

HALF TIME DRAGONS 6 EXETER CHIEFS 18

Fairbrother’s torrid afternoon continued on the resumption as Francis again got the better of him at the opening scrum of the half. Using the possession, the Chiefs cleverly worked the ball down field through a series of phases, only to turn the ball over when poised to strike yet again.

It was, however, a momentary let-off for the ‘Men of Gwent’ as skipper Sweeney produced a clever ‘show and go’ before shipping the ball wide to McGuigan on the left flank. With plenty still to do, the Chiefs full-back hacked the ball ahead and although his run was halted by a late hit, the onrushing James latched onto the loose ball, picked up and drove his way over the whitewash to score. Sweeney added the extras to extend Exeter’s grip on proceedings.

With the bonus point now in their sights, the Chiefs pushed forward in pursuit of further reward but strong runs from Elvis Taione, James and Whitten saw their advances checked.

Newport were doing well to repel the threat of the Aviva Premiership club and their hopes were boosted when McGuigan was briefly banished to the sidelines for a shoulder charge on halfway. To say it was harsh would be the understatement of the year, but the vocal protests of the natives were enough to convince the officials it was more sinister and the Namibian-born back trod a lonely path to the cooler.

Up a man, the Dragons made it pay almost instantly as they worked a penalty to the corner, where from the resultant line-out the home pack combined to drive lock Corey Hill over for the converted score in the left corner.

The score ignited the home fires and for a period they pressed hard in attack looking for a way back into the contest. The Chiefs, it has to be said, had other ideas and using their dominant pack to punch their way pack into enemy territory, they created the opening for young No.8 Skinner to go over from close range to make it 30-13 with a quarter of the game to play.

What followed, however, had the Chiefs - and their loyal Tribe in the stands - momentarily shaking as Lyn Jones’ side countered with two tries in four minutes. Replacement Luc Jones powered his way over for the first of them - converted by Prydie - before flanker Sam Matthews exposed some weak defending from the visitors to claim another from five metres out.

All of a sudden it was the Chiefs who appeared on the ropes entering into a dramatic last ten minutes. Thankfully, there was enough experience and guile in the Exeter ranks to quell the home advances and having steadied the ship sufficiently, the visitors wrapped up the victory with a minute remaining.

Having seen three scrums buckle under the pressure, the final re-set proved sufficient enough for referee Greg MacDonald to say ‘enough’s enough’ and he duly awarded the Chiefs a merited penalty try that Sweeney converted.

Even then the scoring wasn’t over as the Welshmen pounced on a spilled ball from Max Bodily in midfield to work it wide at pace to Jason Tovey, who applied a decent finish in the corner. Prydie banged over the testing conversion to give some gloss on the final scoreline, but it was the Chiefs who maintained their unbeaten record against Welsh opposition since their elevation into English rugby’s top flight.

It’s now 11 games unbeaten against Welsh opposition for Baxter’s side who must now finish the second part of their mission this Sunday at Allianz Park, where a victory over Saracens will set-up an all-important home semi-final.

Dragons: G Jones; T Prydie, C Meyer, A Smith (capt), A Hewitt; D Jones (A O’Brien 48), R Rees (L Jones 55); L Fairbrother, H Gustafson (R Buckley 51), D Way (O Evans 48); M Screech (J Davies 67); C Hill; N Crosswell, J Benjamin (S Matthews 67), A Powell (O Evans 28-35). Replacement (not used): J Dixon.

Tries - Hill, L Jones, Matthews, Tovey; Conversions - Prydie (3); Penalties - Prydie (2)

Yellow Card: Fairbrother

Chiefs: B McGuigan; F Vainikolo, I Whitten (M Bodilly 62), A Hughes, T James (L May 73); C Sweeney (capt), H Thomas (S Townsend 79); B Sturgess (J Woolmore 79), E Taione (G Bateman 61), T Francis (J Stanley 79); W Carrick-Smith (E Holmes 55), J Sexton (J Conlon 74); T Johnson, S Simmonds, S Skinner.

Tries - Hughes, Vainikolo, James, Skinner, Penalty Try; Conversions - Sweeney (3); Penalties - Sweeney (2)

Yellow Card: McGuigan

Referee: G MacDonald

Attendance: 5,081

UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v Saracens (A), LV= Cup, Sunday, February 8 (3pm)