Chiefs 24 Tigers 20
Exeter Chiefs 24
Leicester Tigers 20
Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
Back in June it was Leicester Tigers who crowned themselves as the new Kings of English rugby. Today, they were given a stark reminder that their reign as champions will be one full of robust challenges ahead.
As themselves former rulers of the club game in this country, last season’s seventh-placed finish was not one that sat well with those in power at the Exeter Chiefs.
For the first time in six years, Devon’s finest were not contesting the grand prize come the end of the domestic season, instead they were forced to watch from afar as the Tigers helped themselves to a 11th title gong with victory over Saracens at Twickenham.
Months on from that success, it looked as though Steve Borthwick’s side would begin their title success on a winning note. That was, however, until the hulking frame of Patrick Schickerling bundled his way over in the final minute to secure a much-deserved win for the Chiefs.
The Namibian-born powerhouse struck in the dying embers of a pulsating opening day clash, which offered huge drama, albeit in the background of the country’s mourning of the late, HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Ahead of kick-off, both sides took to the field as Sandy Park rose as one to salute the life of the Queen, who had passed away just days earlier at the age of 96. A short prayer, a minute’s silence and a rousing rendition of ‘God Save The King’ provided a poignant curtain-raiser to the new campaign.
As it proved, it was the Chiefs who set the early tone. In what was a lively introduction from the hosts, it took just three minutes for them to open their account, Joe Simmonds slotting a penalty after Leicester’s Tommy Reffell had been pulled up for infringing at a ruck midway inside his own half.
It was the ideal start for the home side who, it has to be said, were happy to play a game of ‘aerial ping-pong’ with their rivals as the battle for territory and possession set the early tone.
Lengthy kicks would be the order of the day from both sides, but it would be the visitors who restored parity on 12 minutes, Exeter newcomer Solomone Kata pinged for holding on the floor after skipper Jack Yeandle had found him with a lengthy line-out.
With a simple shot at goal, Freddie Burns – the last-gasp hero for Leicester at Twickenham just months earlier – plundered a simple penalty from midway inside the Chiefs half to level things up.
Undeterred, the Chiefs regrouped quickly and having played yet more territorial rugby, it was on a counter-attack that they were able to reclaim the advantage. Smart approach play got them marching down field, before fly-half Harvey Skinner chipped in behind the Leicester defence.
Sparking a foot race to the dead ball area, the Exeter playmaker looked poised to pounce, only for his opposite number, Burns, to punch the ball dead. It denied the Chiefs star a certain try and forced referee Christophe Ridley to award a penalty try and a yellow card to the Tigers ace.
Play continued to switch from end-to-end as the half drew towards a close. Jimmy Gopperth, a summer signing for the Tigers from Wasps, saw a drop-goal chance sail wide of the mark, before Burns doubled his side’s tally with a second successful penalty.
However, it would be the Chiefs who would extend their advantage in the final minute of the half. Following another set of kick tennis between the respective back threes, it was the Chiefs who recycled possession, first to the left, then back to the right, to carve the opening for Tongan international Kata to coast over for his maiden score in Exeter colours.
HALF TIME: EXETER CHIEFS 17 LEICESTER TIGERS 6
Head coach Ali Hepher would have been delighted with what he has seen from his troops in first half battle, but the job was from finished and the Tigers would soon bear their claws.
Having survived an early second half raid from the Chiefs involving Stu Townsend and Ian Whitten, the latter just missing out on a third score, it was the visitors who would hit back with vengeance.
Capitalising on an error from Joe Simmonds, his only one of the day, Tigers skipper reduced the deficit when he trotted in under the home sticks after Dan Cole had charged down the Exeter star’s intended clearance from inside his own 22.
The score – one out of nothing – ignited the Tigers charge and with the hammer down, they continued to batter away at the home defences. Eventually, the pressure told, the visitors striking again just before the hour mark, this time though hooker Charlie Clare, who was able to rumble over from a close-range, line-out to give them the lead for the first time in the contest.
Now it was the turn of the Chiefs to play catch-up as the game entered into its final quarter. Roared on by a partisan home faithful, Exeter started to crank up the gears. The introduction of three Afrikaner Bulls – Messrs Schickerling, Van Heerden and Ewers – certainly had the desired effect.
All three sounded their intent with some heavyweight carries, but it was from another newcomer, Rory O’Loughlin, that the Chiefs were able to get within sniffing distance of the Leicester line. Try as they may, the home side pushed and probed, only for Schickerling to be deemed held up over the whitewash.
Moments later, Jack Maunder spurned a golden opportunity with a slight knock-on, before Richard Capstick was then adjudged to have been the latest held up over the line.
The Chiefs, though, were coming in plentiful waves, whilst Leicester were hanging on for dear life. Van Heerden was denied a debut score by some unbelievable defensive work from experienced England prop Dan Cole, before the hosts were knocked down to 14 men for a ten-minute stint after Hepburn saw yellow for a high hit.
Although down a man, the Chiefs refused to surrender. Still, they pushed in numbers, still the Tigers were able to hold them at bay. With the seconds ticking by, the visitors did everything in their power to take the sting out of the game.
That was until the final minute when, having won a penalty midway inside the Leicester half, the Chiefs opted to go for the corner, rather than a shot at goal. It was a ’50-50’ call, but one which would either prove heroic or disastrous.
Thankfully, the rugby gods were swaying in the favour of the home side, who having pressed off a shortened line-out, then worked the ball inside through a series of phases. With the Tigers struggling to batten down the defences, it was left to Schickerling to latch onto a pass and drive his way over for the match-winning score.
Sandy Park duly erupted, the noise a cavalcade of emotions. It was, however, a deserved success and one which will certainly provide a sturdy foundation to Exeter’s assault on the league this term.
Chiefs: J Simmonds; J Nowell (J Kenny 68), I Whitten, S Kata (R O’Loughlin 45), O Woodburn (F Cordero 71); H Skinner, S Townsend (J Maunder 50); A Hepburn (J Kenny 67-77), J Yeandle (capt, J Innard 71), M Street (P Schickerling 53); J Dunne (R Van Heerden 56), J Gray; J Kirsten, C Tshiunza (D Ewers 56), R Capstick.
Tries - Penalty, Kata, Schickerling; Conversions - J Simmonds (2); Penalty - J Simmonds
Yellow Card: Hepburn
Tigers: C Ashton; H Potter, M Scott, J Gopperth, H Saumaki (K Murimurivalu 63); F Burns (P Cokanasinga h/t), B Youngs (R Wigglesworth 50); J Cronin (F Van Wyk 55), C Clare, D Cole (W Hurd 70); H Wells, E Snyman (C Henderson 68); G Martin, T Reffell (O Cracknell 55), H Liebenberg (capt). Replacement (not used): J Taufete’e
Tries - Liebenberg, Clare; Conversion - Gopperth (2); Penalties - Burns (2)
Yellow Card: Burns
Referee: C Ridley
Attendance: 9,579