Match Report: Exeter Chiefs 14 – 22 Gloucester

An error strewn display from Exeter Chiefs enabled Gloucester to take the win at Sandy Park in the final pool match of the Premiership Rugby Cup on Saturday afternoon.

Despite having secured five points in five matches so far in the pools, Rob Baxter’s men fell to defeat as they scored two tries to Gloucester’s three tries and a penalty.

The opening 10 minutes was all about Chiefs as they inflicted constant pressure on the Gloucester defensive line. The first try came as a well-timed connection between hooker and scrum half peeling off the lineout.

Five metres out, Dan Frost threw in before collecting the ball straight back from his jumpers. Carrying to the line, he flicked an offload to Stu Townsend who ran onto the ball to break a tackle and down the try.

Will Haydon-Wood took the conversion five metres from the touchline to give Chiefs the full seven points.

Gloucester got on the board next. As Joe Hawkins flew out to meet Charlie Atkinson in a tackle, the fly-half had just enough time to offload to Louis Hillman-Cooper who cantered through the space to cross for the try. Atkinson quickly converted to bring things level.

The visitors pulled ahead just shy of half an hour played when Jack Cotgreave slipped three attempted tackles in the five-metre channel of the Chiefs’ 22 to run in five points. Atkinson couldn’t add the additional two as his conversion attempt bounced off the right upright.

The first half ended frustratingly for Chiefs as their momentum was repeatedly halted by the blow of the referee’s whistle as they were penalised in open play and at set piece.

Half-time: Chiefs 7 – 12 Gloucester

Unfortunately for Chiefs, the second half began in a similar fashion to how the first had ended. There were 24 minutes of action to be played before either side added more points. With a penalty just outside the Chiefs 22, Atkinson elected to go for goal to widen the gap on the scoreboard.

With seven minutes left, there was a glimmer of hope for Chiefs. Hawkins released Tamati Tua through the line with a back-handed offload on the halfway. The replacement was brought down in the Gloucester 22 but managed to sling the ball out to Josh Hodge to complete the score.

With Haydon-Wood’s conversion taken quickly, there was just a single point in it.

Chiefs’ hearts were to be broken however, when in the closing minutes Gloucester were awarded a penalty try. Defending his own line, Tommy Wyatt was deemed to have deliberately knocked-on in his tackle.

After a discussion between referee and linesman, the Chiefs fullback was shown a yellow card, and the automatic seven points were awarded to the Cherry and Whites.

Far from the performance that Chiefs would have wanted, but the Exeter men will still advance into the quarter final stages of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Full-time: Chiefs 14 – 22 Gloucester

Chiefs: T Wyatt; B Hammersley (Hodge 60’), J Hawkins, W Rigg (Tua 68’), P Brown-Bampoe; W Haydon-Wood, S Townsend (Cairns 60’); S Sio (c) (Blose 54’), D Frost (Yeandle 52’), J Iosefa-Scott (Street 54’), L Pearson (Tshiunza 72’), R Capstick, E Roots, J Vermeulen (Moloney 60’), G Fisilau.

Tries: Townsend, Hodge Conversions: Haydon-Wood 2

Yellow card: Tommy Wyatt

Gloucester: J Morris; L Hillman-Cooper, W Butler (c), M Adderly-Jones, J Cotgreave (Jones 74’); C Atkinson, C Chapman (Austin 49’); A McArthur (A Benz-Salomon 64’), G McGuigan (Nelson 64’), A Petch (J Benz-Salomon 64’), F Clarke, C Jordan, F Stevens, C James, O Allport.

Replacements: O’Reilly, Knowles, Knight

Tries: Hillman-Cooper, Cotgreave, Penalty try Conversions: Atkinson Penalties: Atkinson

Referee: Harry Walbaum