Gloucester 31 Chiefs 33

Gloucester 31

Exeter Chiefs 33

Mark Stevens at the Memorial Stadium

Exeter Chiefs were indebted to a late penalty from replacement Will Hooley to ensure they secured victory over rivals Gloucester in their latest Westcountry Challenge Cup encounter.

Having already seen off the Cherry & Whites and Bath on home soil, Rob Baxter’s side ensured the newly-created Cup would be heading to Sandy Park, even though they still have a game to play in the competition away to Bath next week.

Having dominated the early exchanges to lead through converted tries from Thomas Waldrom and Luke Cowan-Dickie, the Chiefs allowed their hosts to hit back before the break and it was Gloucester who led at the turn 21-20 having netted three tries of their own.

England international Matt Kvesic cut the deficit with the first home try before winger Henry Purdy and centre Mark Atkinson got in on the scoring act.

Fly-half Billy Twelvetrees converted all three tries for Gloucester, whilst Exeter’s other points came courtesy of their own master marksman, Gareth Steenson, who slotted two penalties of his own.

With little to choose between either side, it was the Chiefs who regained the initiative early in the second half when Steenson’s break created havoc in the home defences and when the ball was shipped wide to the right, summer signing Olly Woodburn linked cleverly with Don Armand for the latter to claim Exeter’s third converted score.

Back in front by six points, that’s how it stayed until a frantic last minute when both teams decided to throw caution to the wind.

Steve McColl’s fine finish in the right corner – again converted by Twelvetrees – restored Gloucester’s lead only for Hooley to nudge the Chiefs back in front with a straight-forward penalty of his own.

Gloucester, however, were far from finished and with three minutes remaining they wrestled back the lead when the Chiefs – who conceded 21 penalties and two yellow cards in an undisciplined display – allowed Twelvetrees to restore the home side’s slender advantage.

Now behind, the Chiefs – back at the Memorial Stadium for the first time since they clinched promotion to the Aviva Premiership in 2010 – were given a lifeline when two Gloucester tacklers strayed offside following determined work from Tom Johnson.

In front of the home posts, Hooley was never going to miss, dispatching a penalty that put his team back in front by two points.

Even then Gloucester could have snatched it at the death when McColl looked destined to score, but he was prevented by an excellent try-saving tackle from Exeter centre Max Bodilly.

Gloucester: R Cook; C Sharples, B Meakes, M Atkinson, H Purdy  (S McColl 49); B Twelvetrees (capt), W Heinz (C Braley 55); P McAllister (Y Thomas 49), D Dawiduik (T Lindsay 6), J Afoa (N Thomas 33, P Doran-Jones 49); T Savage, E Stooke; J Rowan (L Ludlow 15), M Kvesic, G Evans (D Thomas 35, T Hicks 37). Replacements (not used): O Thorley, A Craig, M Protheroe.

Tries - Kvesic, Purdy, Atkinson, McColl; Conversions - Twelvetrees (4); Penalty - Twelvetrees

Chiefs: P Dollman; O Woodburn (M Jess 57), I Whitten, S Hill (M Bodilly 59), J Short; G Steenson (capt, W Hooley 69), W Chudley (D Lewis 57); B Moon (A Hepburn 50), L Cowan-Dickie (J Yeandle 50), M Low (A Brown 50); M Lees (J Hill 62), D Welch (O Atkins 62); D Armand (T Johnson 62), J Salvi (B White 62), T Waldrom (K Horstmann 62). Replacements (not used): S Malton, H Williams, H Thomas, B McGuigan.

Tries - Waldrom, Cowan-Dickie, Armand; Conversions - Steenson (3); Penalties - Steenson (2), Hooley (2)

Yellow Cards: Salvi, Welch

Referee: G MacDonald