Chiefs 24 Gloucester 17
Exeter Chiefs 24
Gloucester Rugby 17
Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
There is still seven games to go in this rollercoaster of a Gallagher Premiership season, but Exeter Chiefs propelled themselves back into the play-off places with a hard-fought victory over rivals Gloucester.
It wasn’t pretty, but in a lot of ways it mattered not. What was more important was the four points accrued and the fact Rob Baxter’s side once again have their end of season destiny very much back in their own hands.
Much of the damage was done during an action-packed first half where the Chiefs bagged converted tries through Jonny Gray, Solomone Kata and Olly Woodburn.
The second, half, however, the hosts could not quite replicate their attacking endeavours as Gloucester put up the barricades to not only prevent the Chiefs from claiming the all-important bonus point, but at the same time limited them to just a solitary Harvey Skinner penalty.
The Cherry & Whites - who scored converted scores of their own through Jonny May and Val Rapava-Ruskin - were never going to win this contest, but a last-gasp penalty from Lloyd Evans ensured they were able to head back up the M5 with what could prove a crucial losing bonus point.
Back in domestic action following their European escapades against the Bulls and Castres, the Chiefs - who made six changes to their starting line-up - started brightly and were quickly into their attacking stride.
Full-back Josh Hodge set the tone when he was released off a clever dummy move midway inside the Chiefs half. As he tore down field, he opted not to feed Jack Nowell outside of him, instead attempting to go for a more direct route past May.
Although the early chance was spurned, the Chiefs continued to pile forward and when skipper Dafydd Jenkins triggered their next threat with a powerful carry through the middle, Gloucester were pulled up by referee Tom Foley for an illegal hold.
Declining the kick at goal, the Chiefs opted for the left corner, hoping they could reap greater reward through their heavyweight pack. Although Gloucester repelled that threat, a scrum just moments later saw Sam Maunder snipe off the base, he linked with Harvey Skinner and Woodburn, the latter of whom was chopped down just shy of the line.
Close at hand, however, were the Exeter pack, who led by Scotsman Gray collected possession, before driving their way over the whitewash for the game’s opening try, which was converted by the boot of Skinner.
Home cheers, however, lasted no more than five minutes as the visitors countered with a rapid response. Pushing forward in numbers, Gloucester cleverly worked the ball from left to right through the hands of Billy Twelvetrees, Seb Atkinson and Ollie Thorley, the latter of whom was able to feed May to skate his way over in the right corner.
Parity restored and with little to choose between either side, it would be the Chiefs who would regather their composure in double-quick time. Another line-out deep in Gloucester’s 22 was gobbled up by Jenkins, who having been surged towards the line, was brought to ground with just inches to spare. His fellow forwards, though, were close at hand and through a combination of Gray and Harry Williams, they worked the ball to Kata, who duly pin-balled his way past two tacklers to grab his side’s second.
It was impressive stuff from the Chiefs, who for large periods of the half were forced into a number of continued games of aerial kick-tennis with their rivals in the quest for vital territory.
Gloucester, as they had proved earlier in the season at Kingsholm, are tough nuts to crack and when they were afforded a chance of their own through a penalty to the corner. The league’s deadliest components in this area, patiently wait about their task, surrendering the Chiefs into submission as prop Rapava-Ruskin rumbled his way over from close range to bring the scores level once more.
The try acted as a timely reminder to the Chiefs of the threat posed by George Skivington’s men. However, with half time fast approaching, it was the ‘Men in Black’ who regained their supremacy, adding a third try when carries from Scott Sio and Nowell allowed Woodburn to pick up from the base of a ruck and “Superman” his way over for the score.
HALF TIME: EXETER CHIEFS 21 GLOUCESTER RUGBY 14
Clearly buoyed by the way they had finished the first 40 minutes, the Chiefs emerged for the second half determined to go after the all-important fourth try.
Almost from the first shrill of Foley’s whistle, they quickly went on the offensive. Woodburn did his best to grab early possession from the kick-off, whilst around him his team-mates were doing their utmost to try and work openings through what was a pretty resilient Gloucester rearguard action.
Exeter’s back three of Hodge, Nowell and Woodburn were continually looking for work, whilst highly-rated youngster Greg Fisilau, along with Jenkins, were again relentless workers in the Exeter eight.
As the home pressure mounted, so Gloucester did their utmost to keep the Chiefs at bay. Some of their defensive duties were impressive, but from one of them they coughed up a penalty, which Skinner dispatched to put his side 10 points clear with just over a quarter of the game remaining.
Shortly after and the Chiefs were again probing hard, this time with a 27-phase attack, which shunted from left to right, then back the other way once more. Gloucester, though, were proving more miserly than they were in the first period and eventually their efforts were rewarded with a turnover penalty.
A plethora of replacements from both sides littered the remainder of the contest, meaning any flow the game had previously had, now disappeared into the dying embers of the match.
With virtually nothing left on the clock, Gloucester rallied one more time, this time from a scrum, where the award of a penalty allowed replacement Evans to step forward and drill over a long-range penalty that at least ensured the visitors of some reward.
Chiefs: J Hodge; J Nowell, I Whitten (R O’Loughlin 76), S Kata (J Simmonds 76), O Woodburn; H Skinner, S Maunder (J Maunder 62); S Sio (J Kenny 72), J Innard (D Frost 50), H Williams (P Schickerling 72); J Gray (J Dunne 67), D Jenkins (capt); D Ewers, J Kirsten (A Davis 59), G Fisilau.
Tries - Gray, Kata, Woodburn; Conversions - Skinner (3); Penalty - Skinner
Gloucester: S Carreras; J May (T Seabrook 62), C Harris, S Atkinson, O Thorley; B Twelvetrees (L Evans 65), B Meehan (C Chapman 62); V Rapava-Ruskin (H Elrington 44), S Blake (H Walker 65), K Gotovtsev (J Ford-Robinson 76); C Jordan (F Clarke 62), M Alemmano; J Clement, L Ludlow (capt), A Tuisue (B Morgan 62).
Tries - May, Rapava-Ruskin; Conversions - Twelvetrees (2); Penalty - Evans
Referee: T Foley
Attendance: 11,078