Punches thrown as Gloucester dent Exeter Chiefs' play-off hopes

Exeter’s Gallagher Prem play-off hopes were dented after Gloucester shredded the formbook by beating them 34-31 at Kingsholm.

Almost a year to the day after Chiefs conceded 79 points in the same fixture – a club record Prem defeat – they once again came unstuck.

The losing margin was nowhere near as bad, and although they hold fourth spot courtesy of two losing bonus-points, Exeter are just one above fifth-placed Bristol.

Gloucester, meanwhile, boosted chances of securing Investec Champions Cup qualification through a bonus-point victory secured by try doubles from Max Llewellyn and Will Trenholm, plus a Tomos Williams try, while George Barton kicked three conversions and a penalty.

Exeter finished second-best in the physicality stakes, but tries for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Ross Vintcent, Greg Fisilau and Henry Slade, in addition to a couple of Slade conversions plus a penalty try, kept them in contention throughout a gripping contest that saw Gloucester finish a player short after prop Dane Bieuler was yellow-carded.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Gloucester

34 - 31

Full-time

Exeter Chiefs

All Stats and Data

And the visitors’ frustrating afternoon was compounded by flanker Ethan Roots receiving a 20-minute red card after an off-the-ball incident in the game’s final play.

The Chiefs showed their intent with a try after just 54 seconds when wing Paul Brown-Bampoe captured possession and sent an unmarked Vintcent over, but Gloucester hit back strongly through a touchdown from Wales international Llewellyn that Barton converted.

It was a fast and furious start from both teams, yet Gloucester had the bit between their teeth and left Exeter reeling by Williams’ opportunism as he sniped his way through a cluttered Chiefs defence to score.

Gloucester were not finished, though, and they struck again just three minutes later, this time being indebted to wing Ben Loader’s brilliant approach work and off-load that ended in Llewellyn claiming his second try, before Barton’s conversion opened up a 14-point lead.

Exeter had been on the end of a damaging spell, but the Chiefs engineered a quickfire response through England star Feyi-Waboso, who wrong-footed several Gloucester defenders to claim a trademark try, with Slade’s conversion making it 19-12.

The visitors strived for some consistency of performance, yet they were undone again seven minutes before half-time as Trenholm crashed over from close range and a third Barton conversion once again left Exeter trailing by a distance.

Llewellyn did not return for the second period due to a failed head injury assessment, while Exeter boss Rob Baxter sent on a new front-row unit of Max Norey, Ethan Burger and Jimmy Roots.

Ollie Thorley, Llewellyn’s replacement, thought he had scored from his first touch, but the score was ruled out by referee Matthew Carley following a forward pass by hooker Jack Innard to flanker Freddie Thomas.

And Exeter were back in it just two minutes later after more sharp work by Feyi-Waboso created space for Fisilau, whose smart try was converted by Slade.

A Barton penalty restored Gloucester’s double-figure margin, and with Exeter’s set-piece problems mounting, the home side looked to finish them off and Trenholm’s second score looked to have done it until Chiefs were awarded a penalty try and Bieuler was sin-binned, but the home side held out despite Slade’s late touchdown.