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Exeter moved back into the Gallagher Premiership play-off zone with a 19-12 victory over Sale Sharks at Sandy Park.
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The Chiefs climbed to fourth, leap-frogging Gloucester and London Irish, after a controlled display highlighted by two tries from flanker Jacques Vermeulen.
It was Exeter’s fourth successive Premiership victory as Sale endured a difficult afternoon that saw them hit by a number of injury setbacks.
Flanker Cameron Neild was carried off, while Cobus Wiese, Raffi Quirke and Coenie Oosthuizen also made premature exits.
Even without their sizeable England contingent, Exeter dominated most of the contest, with wing Olly Woodburn also touching down, while fly-half Joe Simmonds kicked two conversions.
Chiefs will be frustrated, though, at their failure to increase a 19-0 lead, missing out on a bonus point, with the only second-half scoring being Sale tries from Ewan Ashman and Curtis Langdon, plus one AJ MacGinty conversion.
Vermeulen made his first appearance of the season for Exeter after twice undergoing surgery on an injured hamstring, while Scotland internationals Stuart Hogg and Sam Skinner returned from Guinness Six Nations duty.
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England prop Bevan Rodd returned to Sale’s starting line-up, but lock Lood De Jager was a late withdrawal, so Jean-Luc Du Preez moved into the second-row and Ben Curry started at openside flanker.
Exeter made a flying start in blustery conditions, taking the lead after just five minutes following Hogg’s initial counter-attack from deep inside his own half.
Tom O’Flaherty then ran strongly into the heart of Sale’s defence, before quickly recycled possession enabled his fellow wing Woodburn to finish off a flowing move, and Simmonds converted.
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There was a vibrancy about Exeter’s play, with O’Flaherty and scrum-half Sam Maunder particularly threatening in terms of attacking intent, and Sale were stretched defensively to keep them out.
Exeter enjoyed unrelenting territorial dominance, and they increased their lead midway through the half after the forwards took charge.
Sale could not escape from a position deep inside their 22, and the Chiefs expertly controlled lineout possession before Vermeulen touched down in the corner to open up a 12-0 advantage.
The visitors needed a response, but although they showed plenty of endeavour with limited ball, Sale could not create any clear-cut opportunities.
They also saw Wiese go off, while Quirke departed for a head injury assessment nine minutes before half-time and was replaced by South African World Cup winner Faf De Klerk.
Sale then lost Oosthuizen, before full-back Sam James received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on and Sharks immediately conceded a third try.
Can we end this myth about @ExeterChiefs not being an entertaining watch?
From Tom O'Flaherty's electric run, Tom Hendrickson finding the gap and Olly Woodburn applies the finishing touches.
Scintillating! ?#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/x8II3IWPEL
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 6, 2022
Exeter’s pack again assumed close-range control, making sufficient in-roads for Vermeulen to claim his second touchdown, and Simmonds converted from the touchline as Exeter moved 19 points clear at the interval.
Sale’s problems showed no sign of abating, as Neild, who replaced Jono Ross at half-time, was carried off just six minutes into the second period.
But Sale regrouped impressively after such disruption, and they opened their account with a 52nd-minute try for Ashman that MacGinty converted to give the visitors hope.
Exeter went back on the offensive for most of the final quarter but could not add to their first-half try haul as O’Flaherty and Skinner saw late touchdowns ruled out.
And it was Sale that finished the stronger through Langdon’s score that gave them an unlikely losing bonus point.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
75 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments