Match Report: Exeter Chiefs 19 – 36 Harlequins

Exeter Chiefs struggled to get their foothold in the game as Harlequins took a bonus point win at Sandy Park to lengthen Chiefs’ tough start to the Gallagher Premiership season.

Chiefs’ defence was stretched in the early stages as Quins looked for weak links in the Exeter line. A soft shoulder on the edge of the 22 allowed the men in quarters through and despite some dogged work to track back from Henry Slade and Olly Woodburn, Quins fed ball to the wide channel for Oscar Beard to cross for the opening score.

Baxter’s veteran playmakers redeemed themselves almost immediately. Combining with quick hands on the edge of the Quins 22, Slade released Woodburn to break. The winger got an offload from the floor for Ross Vintcent to steamroll his way over the line for the try.

Slade showed he hadn’t lost any of his precision at the tee during his injury lay-off as he slotted the conversion.

Rodrigo Isgro proved a point of his own shortly following. The Argentinian, who marked his Quins debut with a brace of tries last weekend, won a foot race against hooker Dan Frost on the wing to dot down in the corner to take his side back ahead.

In the absence of Marcus Smith, it was up to Welshman Jarod Evans to add the conversion.

Quins had their third of the game when Will Evans found an option having spotted that the blindside lacked the manpower required to stop a charging back rower. With a slight change of line, he was able to evade Slade to crash over beneath the posts thus giving his fly half the simple conversion.

There was an energy that came into the Chiefs’ step with five minutes left in the first half. Some quick handling and hard carries got them territory on the edge of the Quins 22. Will Haydon-Wood sacrificed himself, taking a massive hit but holding the offload to Josh Hodge long enough to give the full-back the chance to bring in Will Rigg for the line break.

The centre had Paul Brown-Bampoe on his shoulder running a supporting line, but he barrelled his broad frame through the tackle to complete the break and score the try. Slade then took the conversion.

Half-time: Chiefs 14 – 19 Harlequins

The visitors were the first to make the most of their opportunities in the second half. James Chisholm collected a stray ball and, despite a TMO check for whether he knocked it on, in the slight confusion he had time to off-load to Will Evans for the try. Evans the fly half then added the extra two points.

The Chiefs got back onto the board before an hour was passed. A maul drive was brought down on the five-metre line but Stu Townsend – fresh onto the field for his first appearance of the season – guided the ball across field through the phases.

Haydon-Wood realised he had Hodge on his shoulder for the pop pass and the full-back offloaded to Ben Hammersley just inches from the line to secure the try.

With Slade substituted off, Hodge took over the kicking duties but his conversion attempt was tight to the touchline and drifted just wide.

With a penalty for not rolling away outside the Chiefs’ 22 on 65 minutes played, Quins went for a shot at goal having recognised a clean kick would force Chiefs into scoring more than a converted try to level or best them. Evans slotted the penalty cleanly.

Chiefs were reduced to 14 men for the final seven minutes of the encounter when Woodburn looked to have suffered a hamstring issue, and the Chiefs were all out of replacement options.

As Chiefs tried desperately to hold onto the glimmer of being within range of some gritty work seeing the result go their way, Danny Care broke down the near touchline. He dropped a chip kick off the boot and fellow replacement Cadan Murley ran onto it for the try.

Evans’ conversion was the last marker on the game as despite there being time for a restart, Quins kicked it dead as the clock struck 80 to seal Chiefs’ fate.

Full-time: Chiefs 19 – 36 Harlequins

Chiefs: J Hodge; O Woodburn, H Slade (Hammersley 54’), W Rigg (Skinner 64’), P Brown-Bampoe; W Haydon-Wood, W Becconsall (Townsend 54’); S Sio (c) (Goodrick-Clarke 45’), D Frost (Yeandle 54’), E Painter (Street 40’), F Molina (Tuima 45’), R Capstick, R Vintcent, J Vermeulen (Roots 57’), G Fisilau.

Tries: Vintcent, Rigg, Hammersley Conversions: Slade 2

Quins: T Green; R Isgro (David 63’), O Beard, L Anyanwu, C Murley; J Evans, W Porter (Care 61’); J Els (Jones 50’), J Walker (Jibulu 73’), T Lamositele, I Herbst (Launchbury 58’), S Lewies, J Kenningham, W Evans (Lawday 59’), J Chisholm.

Replacements: Kerrod, Benson

Tries: Beard, Isgro, W Evans 2, Murley Conversions: J Evans 4 Penalties: J Evans

Referee: Adam Leal

Attendance: 12,054