Chiefs 33 Montpellier 33
Exeter Chiefs 33
Montpellier 33
After Extra-Time
Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
What a difference a week makes.
Seven days ago, Rob Baxter did not hide his fury as his Exeter Chiefs side crashed to a lacklustre loss at Westcountry rivals Bath Rugby. Present day, it was certainly a much different feeling for the Director of Rugby as he surveyed the joyous scenes that accompanied his side’s progression into the last eight of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Club captain Jack Yeandle proved the decisive moment, claiming Exeter’s fifth try of the game against visiting Montpellier with the clock in the red. His touchdown, crucially converted by Joe Simmonds, ensured the Chiefs advanced to the quarter-finals on a try count back.
Not since the Devonians overcame Saracens on the same turf back in 2017 have we witnessed such scenes at the final whistle. The elation shown was not only a combination of pure ecstasy, but also pure relief after what was a pulsating showdown with the reigning French champions.
Montpellier - defeated heavily on their two previous visits to the Westcountry - proved a formidable fight, especially considering they lost influential No.8 Zach Mercer to a red card just ten minutes into the second half.
In his absence, Philippe Saint-Andre’s side made light of their numerical deficit to not only challenge the Chiefs but, threaten their impressive home record this term.
Early tries from Curtis Langdon and Vincent Rattez, one of which was converted by Paolo Garbisi, gave the visitors a dream start, putting them 12-0 up inside the opening ten minutes.
Somewhat shell-shocked, the Chiefs had to rally and having cut that lead when Scott Sio burrowed over, they went in front later in the half as man-of-the-match Sam Simmonds followed suit to put the hosts in front for the first time.
Garbisi’s penalty just before the break edged his side in front by a point at the break - and the Italian international extended their lead with a second successful kick, just minutes after Mercer had been sent to the sidelines for his head high shot on Christ Tshiunza.
Exeter, however, refused to lie down, duly making the most of the numbers game as first Tom Wyatt, then replacement Josh Iosefa-Scott found their way over for crucial scores.
Montpellier, though, would not go quietly and when Thomas Darmon had a try chalked off for a knock-on, you kind of felt it may not exactly be their day. Undeterred, they came again and with three minutes remaining, replacement Lenni Nouchi set up a grandstand finale as he raced over in the left corner.
Spurred by the forward’s canter down the touchline, Montpellier threw caution to the wind, producing a final flurry which, in the end, proved fruitful in winning them a penalty that Garbisi landed with the last kick of the half to send the game into extra time.
Additional time came and went for the first 10 minutes with the scoreboard untroubled, before Louis Carbonel set pulses racing when he was able to round off a slick Montpellier attack midway through the second period of extra time to put his side back in front.
Up against it and with the minutes ticking by, it was now the turn of the former champions to show their fight. To a man - and roared on by a vociferous home crowd - the Chiefs rolled the dice with one final show of defiance. As they drove their way down field, stretching Montpellier left, then right, the ball found it’s way into the grasp of Yeandle who, with just metres to go, made no mistake as he bulldozed his way over the whitewash.
Simmonds still had to land the conversion to tie matters up, but the Exeter playmaker made no mistake, dispatching the kick and triggering a party which is sure to go well into the night.
After some tough talking in the wake of last weekend’s Premiership defeat to Bath, Baxter was true to his word in making changes to the starting line-up. Cup heroes Tom Wyatt and Will Becconsall both came in for their first-ever European starts, whilst there was inclusions for Sean O’Brien and Rory O’Loughlin, as well as returns for Jonny Gray and Jannes Kirsten in the pack.
As expected, Montpellier were able to parade a powerful array of international talent within their ranks. However, the early loss of hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa meant an early introduction for former Sale Sharks hooker Langdon, whose first touch of the ball was to latch onto a pass from Cobus Reinach and drive his way over for the game’s opening score, converted by Garbisi.
It was hardly the start the Chiefs would have envisaged but things would go decidedly worse as just four minutes later the visitors added a second, Ben Lam’s work down the left causing the initial carnage, before the ball was shipped across the field and into the grasp of Rattez, who made no mistake in the right-hand corner.
The natives appeared restless, but as the home side started to grow into the contest, so the Chiefs started to look more threatening. Initial warnings were seen off by the Frenchmen, but when the hosts pushed again midway through the half through big carries from Dafydd Jenkins, Dan Frost and Kirsten, it was Aussie prop Sio who took charge of the ball close to the line, driving his way over for his maiden European score.
Up and running at last, the Chiefs were given a further boost not long after when Montpellier’s dangerous Fijian, Masivesi Dakuwaqa, was yellow-carded for killing a maul just metres from his own line. He could only watch on as the home side made him pay, Montpellier-bound Simmonds waiting patiently at the back of a ruck to storm over for a second score, again converted by his younger brother.
Dakuwaqa, though, was soon joined on the step by Chiefs centre Henry Slade, who himself was sent to the cooler for a ten-minute stint by referee Andrew Brace for a deliberate knock-on. Thankfully, there was cover in behind the England centre to prevent a penalty try, but his indiscretion did allow Garbisi to restore his side’s lead at the turn.
HALF TIME: EXETER CHIEFS 14 MONTPELLIER 15
With little to choose between either side after an end-to-end first half, it was the visitors who were again quick to come out firing on the resumption. Just six minutes had elapsed when Elliott Stooke sent Mercer over in the corner for a third Montpellier score.
Initially, the score was granted by Brace but, on the intervention of the TV match official, further examination revealed Sio had been taken out in the build-up and the try was chalked off.
If that was disappointing for Mercer - who next season will be returning to the Premiership with Gloucester - what followed was even worse as he was given his marching orders for his high shot on Tshiunza. Again, numerous replays of the incident were shown on the big screens, each of them getting a more audible reaction with every replay.
As he trudged off, his team-mates did their best to fill the void he had vacated. The tactic was to keep things simple and concise and it worked a treat as Garbisi slotted another penalty to put his side four points clear.
The Chiefs, though, were roused by on-field matters and having positioned themselves back deep in enemy territory, they cleverly fashioned an opening that released Sam Simmonds down the left. As the all-action No.8 tore down field, he made decent yardage before shipping the ball inside to Wyatt, who did well to fend off the attentions of two tacklers to score in the corner.
Back in front, the Chiefs now had the between their teeth and as they pushed forward in numbers, creating wave upon wave of attack, they claimed a fourth score when, off a close-range line-out, they drove in field, creating the opening for Iosefa-Scott to claim his second try in as many games.
Montpellier, though, refused to go quietly and as with their European existence very much int the balance, Saint-Andre’s side threw caution to the wind. Happy to play from anywhere, not only did they have the Chiefs scrambling all over the pitch, but they were firmly on the front foot.
Centre Thomas Darmon saw a score chalked off for a knock-on, before the visitors threatened again, this time crafting a wonderful opening wide out that Nouchi took, cantering his way down the touchline to score.
Even then, still three adrift, the drama was not done. Having appeared to have resisted the late charge from the French, turnover ball saw the Chiefs look to canter through O’Brien. He made his way to halfway only to concede a penalty. With little option then to kick for the posts, Garbisi’s lengthy kick had enough on it to send the tie into an additional 20 minutes.
The quick respite allowed both sides to get some key messaging into their teams, as well as some fresh legs, but the first half came and went without the scoreboard changing. Sam Simmonds was denied by a last-gasp tackle from Carbonel, while Yeandle somehow fluffed his lines when it appeared easier to score.
The second half, though, saw Montpellier again rev their engines, this time to great effect, creating the opening for Carbonel to latch onto the ball in midfield before gliding his way over for the converted score. The visiting bench, as you would expect, erupted with delight.
There was, however, still time for a fitting finale. Having punched each other out like two prized fighters, it was the Chiefs who, with time up on the clock, that somehow fashioned their crowning glory. Some heavyweight carries saw them position themselves to within sight of the line, the fruits of which allowed Yeandle to drive over. Cue Mayhem!
Simmonds slotted the conversion to wrap the scoring up, but already the strands of ‘Sweet Caroline’ were being belted around all four corners of the ground, Exeter’s European Adventure goes another week at least!
Chiefs: T Wyatt; J Nowell (capt), H Slade, S O’Brien, R O’Loughlin (J Hodge 73); J Simmonds, W Becconsall (T Cairns 57); S Sio (N Abuladze 70), D Frost (J Yeandle 57), M Street (J Iosefa-Scott 57); J Gray, D Jenkins; J Kirsten (D Ewers 51), C Tshiunza (A Davis 63), S Simmonds. Replacement (not used): H Skinner
Tries - Sio, S Simmonds, Wyatt, Iosefa-Scott, Yeandle; Conversion - J Simmonds (4)
Yellow Card: Slade
Montpellier: A Bouthier (capt); B Lam, T Darmon, J Serfontein (L Carbonel 57), V Rattez (G Bridge 63); P Garbisi, C Reinach (L Coly 57); E Forletta (T Lamositele 51-66), B Paenga-Amosa (C Langdon 3), H Thomas (M Haouas 42-51, 53); E Stooke, T Duguid; N Janse Van Rensburg (M Tauliegne 67), M Dakuwaqa (L Nouchi 60), Z Mercer.
Tries - Langdon, Rattez, Nouchi, Carbonel; Conversions - Garbisi (2); Penalties - Garbisi (3)
Yellow Card: Dakuwaqa
Red Card: Mercer
Referee: A Brace
Attendance: 10,582