Match Report: Leicester Tigers 28 – 15 Exeter Chiefs

A bonus-point performance on home soil from Leicester Tigers was too much for Exeter Chiefs to overcome as they fell to defeat at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Repeated infringements, a lack of luck contesting in the air and a second half yellow card meant that Rob Baxter’s men struggled to get a hold of the ascendancy in the game as two late tries from Tigers sealed their win.

The first points of the encounter belonged to Chiefs. Strong work exiting their own half had them quickly entering the Tigers 22. A penalty for an infringement at the ruck allowed Henry Slade to call for the kicking tee to be brought on. He cleanly sliced the uprights to put his side on the board with three points three minutes in.

The home side were given something to cheer after 13 minutes as Olly Cracknell tore off the back of the scrum to carry the ball over the line for a try beneath the posts. Tigers had put pressure on deep in Chiefs' territory, forcing a penalty which ultimately allowed them to go for the set piece.

Handre Pollard added the conversion for the men in stripes.

Cameron Henderson scored Tigers' second try before half time. Pollard found a soft shoulder to carry into, breaking the gain-line and putting his side on the front foot. As Chiefs scrambled their defence, the home side used quick offloads to give the ball to the Scottish second rower. He crashed over to the left of the posts with Pollard converting for the full seven points.

Chiefs looked to be on the counter-attack as half time approached but a compounding of errors cost them as Tigers were awarded a penalty which ended the half with the home side in a double digits lead.

Half-time: Tigers 14 – 3 Chiefs

The restart was all Chiefs as the sides emerged for the second half. Working the phases in Leicester’s half, Slade spotted the option of a chip to the wing for Tommy Wyatt to run onto. The winger had clean air and one defender to dodge inches from the line before securing the try.

Slade took the conversion attempt from the edge of the 22 but the ball curled to the outside of the upright.

There was some reshuffling in the aftermath as an injury to Ben Hammersley enforced a handful of positional changes. As Will Rigg came onto the field, Tamati Tua moved to outside centre while Zack Wimbush drifted out to the wing.

With the clock just shy of an hour played, Wyatt secured a brace. Multiple penalties at the scrum on Tigers’ five metre line put Chiefs on the front foot. A set move saw Slade and Wyatt peel to the short side of the scrum, with Stu Towsend giving the quick feed.

Slade popped the pass out to Wyatt who slid in at the corner flag for the five points which Josh Hodge made seven as he converted.

Chiefs were reduced to 14 men on 65 minutes when Will Rigg was shown a yellow card for contact in the air with Pollard when both men went up to compete for a high ball.

The overlap was immediately taken advantage of by Tigers when they tore downfield with an interception. Lung-bursting work from replacement Richard Capstick to chase down his man thwarted the first wave but after some tight phases in the corner, Tigers took the penalty advantage and played ball wide for Ollie Hassell-Collins to cross in the corner.

With Pollard’s conversion, the hosts went six points into the lead.

The ever-important bonus point score came for Leicester with less than five minutes left in the encounter. Sniping around Josh Iosefa-Scott, Ben Youngs took the ball on himself from the breakdown, running in the try from close range.

Having run down the clock as much as he could, Pollard secured the conversion.

The closing stages were messy ones for both sides but, unfortunately for the Chiefs men, opportunity had already passed them by. Meaning the Chiefs, having ended 2024 on a high, have to settle for a loss to open their new calendar year.

Full-time: Tigers 28 – 15 Chiefs

Tigers: F Steward; J Bassett (Shillcock 68'), D Kelly, S Kata (Woodward 59'), O Hassell-Collins; H Pollard, J Van Poortvliet (Youngs 65’); N Smith (Whitcombe 73’), J Montoya (c) (Clare 71’), J Heyes (Cole 65’), C Henderson, H Wells (Holloway 59'), H Liebenberg (Rogerson 39’), T Reffell, O Cracknell.

Tries: Cracknell, Henderson, Hassell-Collins, Youngs Conversions: Pollard 4

Chiefs: J Hodge; B Hammersley (Rigg 45’), Z Wimbush, T Tua, T Wyatt; H Slade, S Townsend (Cairns 77’); S Sio (Goodrick-Clarke 45’, Sio 73’), D Frost (Innard 45’), M Street (Iosefa-Scott 45’), D Jenkins (c), F Molina (Tuima 59’), E Roots, J Vermeulen (Capstick 59’), G Fisilau.

Replacements: Haydon-Wood

Tries: Wyatt 2 Conversions: Hodge Penalties: Slade

Yellow card: Will Rigg

Referee: Christophe Ridley