Chiefs U18s 22 Harlequins U18s 45

Exeter Chiefs Under-18s 22

Harlequins Under-18s 45

Alfie Martin at Sandy Park

Exeter Chiefs Under-18s produced one of their best displays of the campaign in their final outing of this season’s Premiership Under-18s League against Harlequins at Sandy Park.

Sadly, their efforts were all in vain as the Londoners headed home with the victory in a game which boasted 11 tries in total.

Harlequins ran rampant, Anyanwu, Allen, Smith, Bevacqua, Lynagh, Riley and Hyde each bagging themselves a slice of the cake in a keenly-contested affair.

The Chiefs, however, responded with four tries of their own thanks to Chris King and Josh Davies, who added to prop Harvey Dunn’s first half.

Referee Dan Driscoll brought whistle-to-mouth to get the proceedings underway, the visitors setting off their first attacking play of the afternoon. Lennox Anyanwu was first to make a mark on the scoreboard after sneaking just inside the corner flag.

But their perfect start was tainted by a resurgent Chiefs outfit, who bludgeoned at the Quins defence to open the door for Harvey Dunn. The prop found his scoring boots as he bundled his way over the whitewash. Lidstone’s boot strayed the ball just wide of the posts, evening the honours in the first quarter.

And it was Dunn who rewarded the Chiefs’ their second, digging the ball from the back of a rumbling maul and dotting down to snatch the lead.

Tom Allen was next to find the line for the visitors after a defensive weakness gifted the winger a route to the posts. James Bourton converted, edging the lead by two points.

Chris King put ball-to-paint as the clock wound down, stealing the lead at the cusp of half time. Lidstone had no problem with the conversion, tallying the extra two-point advantage.

HALF TIME EXETER CHIEFS U18s 17 HARLEQUINS U18s 12

Quins fired off the blocks at the start of the second half, Luc Smith wasting no time in reclaiming the lead for his side. The visitors stunned the Chiefs with a further two successive tries at the hands of Theo Bavecqua and Louis Lynagh respectively.

Josh Davies provided the Chiefs’ only flourish of the second half, a spectacular out the back pass from centre Archie Hill setting up the winger to score down the left flank. Frankie Dart lined up the kick in the absence of Lidstone but struck the ball wide of the sticks, denying him the conversion.

When push came to shove it was Quins who capitalised on the opportunities gifted to them. Sam Riley was next to find the line, followed by Haydn Hyde in the final play of the afternoon. Up stepped Bourton once more, sending the ball on its way and bringing a close to a Wednesday evening of rugby.

To their credit Chiefs, who held the lead at half time, fought tirelessly to the final whistle. But efforts were futile as the Londoners packed up and left victorious.

Exeter Chiefs Under-18s: F Dart, J Davies, B Fenton (A Gozzard 47), A Hill, C Cadogan, H Lidstone (D Lilley 51), T Cairns (A Stacey 47), C King (C Leigh 55), W Goffey (N Karea 55), H Dunn (D Welch 55), J Elsworth (E Maltby 55), J Greaves, S Butterworth, J Bond, J Thorne (J Stansfield 35).

Tries: H Dunn (2), C King, J Davies. Conversion: H Lidstone

Harlequins Under-18s: L Lynagh, T Allen, H Hyde, J Bourton (J Potter 35, M Davies 57), J Boterill, L Smith (J Bourton 42), M Davies (J Williams 35), A Salomon (T Bavecqua 35), D Thomas (S Riley 47), J Salomon (F Baxter 28, J Salomon 35, F Baxter 47), C Stanton (W Trenholm 47), E Cory, T Johnson (S Riley 27, T Johnson 32), J Springate (J Reid 47), H Dugmore.

Tries: L Anyanwu, T Allen, L Smith, T Bevacqua, L Lynagh, S Riley, H Hyde. Conversions: J Bourton (4), L Smith

Referee: D Driscoll