Ulster 31 Chiefs 12
Ulster Rugby 31
Exeter Chiefs 12
Mark Stevens at the Kingspan Stadium
Pre-season often throws up more questions than answers, but Exeter Chiefs will certainly have benefitted from this trip across the Irish Sea.
With a just a week to go until they kick-off their latest Gallagher Premiership campaign against defending champions Leicester Tigers, Rob Baxter’s side were given a stiff examination by hosts Ulster at the Kingspan Stadium.
The Irish province led from start to finish, running in first half tries from Ian Madigan, Rob Lyttle and John Andrew to 19-0, before Luke Marshall and Robbie Stockdale put the seal on their success in the second period.
Baxter’s Chiefs fought valiantly throughout and their efforts were rewarded with tries for Patrick Schickerling and Max Norey, one of which was converted by Harvey Skinner, but it was scant reward on a difficult night.
With the Chiefs opting to operate two different squads on the same evening, one here in Ireland, the other back on Cornish soil against the Pirates, it was a more senior starting XV that took to the field in Belfast.
Jack Yeandle headed up the visiting line-up, which included summer signings Jack Dunne, Rory O’Loughlin and Solomone Kata from the outset.
It was, however, the hosts who were quickest out of the traps, breaking the deadlock inside five minutes when Irish international Madigan latched onto a popped pass from Jack Flannery to burst through the heart of the Exeter midfield for the opening try, converted by Flannery.
Worse was to follow for the Chiefs as Ulster added to their advantage shortly after. Making the most of a penalty advantage down in the left corner, the ball was worked back into the hands of Flannery, whose sublime cross-field kick fell invitingly into the grasp of Lyttle, who was able to see off the attentions of Olly Woodburn to score in the corner.
The hosts were dominating not just in terms of possession and territory, but also on the scoreboard as well. Exeter, on the other hand, were conceding far too many soft penalties - and when they did have the ball, they were guilty of over-complicating passes to their colleagues.
Midway through the first half, Ulster full-back Shea O’Brien thought he had added a third try, but his effort was chalked off after referee Andrew Brace spotted a forward pass.
The Chiefs did their best to make the most of the let-off and when Sam Maunder combined well with Ollie Leatherbarrow, the Scottish Under-20s star galloped down field towards the try-line. In hindsight, he should have fed the ball back inside to Maunder for a certain score, but instead he held onto possession and was scragged just shy of the line by O’Brien, whose attempts to win a turnover were deemed illegal and he was duly dispatched to the sidelines for a ten-minute stint.
It was the best chance of the half for the Devonians, who themselves were then reduced to 14 men after Richard Capstick was shown yellow for a professional foul.
Ulster took just a minute to make the numbers game count, using a penalty to the corner to create a driving maul that allowed Andrew the easiest of tasks to dot down with the last play of the half.
With replacements added at the break from both sides, Exeter’s cause was hardly helped early in the second half when Skinner became the second Chief to be sin-binned by Brace for killing the ball.
Again, the home side made the Chiefs pay for their ill-discipline, Marshall picking a lovely line to bulldoze his way through the middle of the Exeter defensive line to score under the posts. Replacement Doak converted to make it 26-0.
Up against it and with merely pride at stake, the Chiefs rallied well, producing arguably their best spell of the match. With the forwards still grinding it out up front, they won a succession of penalties to propel themselves up field.
Another penalty award saw replacement Jack Maunder snipe quickly, he advanced down field, before the visitors patiently worked their way through the phases, the ball eventually getting to Schickerling - a summer tourist with England in Australia - who was able to find his way over the line for the converted try.
Minutes later and the Chiefs were on the offensive once more. Again, the forwards did the donkey work, throwing themselves into a series of heavyweight collisions, the fruits of which allowed replacement Norey to burrow over for a second score.
Try as they may, Baxter’s side piled forward in the closing stages in search of further reward, but it was Ulster who had the final saw, Stockdale exposing the numbers game out wide to race over unopposed for a try with the last play of the match.
For the Chiefs, it was certainly a decent work-out - one which will allow them to fine tune things ahead of their mouth-watering clash with the champions this coming Saturday.
Ulster: S O’Brien; A Sexton, A Curtis, I Madigan, R Lyttle; J Flannery, M McDonald; C Reid, D Moore, J Toomaga-Allen; F Bradshaw-Ryan, S Carter; H Sheridan, S Reffell, J Murphy (capt). Replacements Used: E O’Sullivan, T Stewart, M Moore, G Milasinovich, A O’Connor, C Izuchukwu, M Rea, G Jones, B Burns, N Doak, J Stockdale, L Marshall, C Gilroy, S Moore, J Andrew, R Telfer, C McKee
Tries - Madigan, Little, Andrew, Marshall, Stockdale; Conversions - Flannery (2), Doak
Yellow Card: O’Brien
Chiefs: F Cordero; R O’Loughlin (C Ribbons h/t), I Whitten, S Kata (W Becconsall 59), O Woodburn; H Skinner, S Maunder (J Maunder 50); A Hepburn (J Kenny 64), J Yeandle (capt, M Norey 64), M Street (H Williams 30, P Schickerling 52); J Dunne (L Pearson 64), J Gray (J Dunne 74); R Capstick, C Tshiunza (O Leatherbarrow 67), O Leatherbarrow (R Tuima 46).
Tries - Schickerling, Norey; Conversion - Skinner
Yellow Cards: Capstick, Skinner
Referee: A Brace