Chiefs 47 Pirates 15
Exeter Chiefs 47
Cornish Pirates 15
By Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
Exeter Chiefs kicked off their pre-season programme with a convincing victory over visiting Cornish Pirates at Sandy Park.
Rob Baxter’s side dominated this friendly encounter throughout, running in eight tries through Matt Kvesic, Toby Salmon, Greg Holmes, Elvis Taione, Sal M’Boge, Jack Innard and Freeman.
Fly-half Joe Simmonds weighed in with the remainder of the points, converting all but one score in another polished display from the young playmaker.
The Pirates, who will have taken plenty from the game despite the heavy loss, countered with a try in each half from Alex Cheeseman and Alex O’Meara, while former Exeter Academy youngster Laurence May slotted a conversion and a penalty to complete their scoring.
In the first of three run-outs this pre-season for the Chiefs, Baxter took the opportunity to give three of his summer signings (Salmon, Freeman and Kvesic) their Exeter debuts from the outset; whilst there was also a first start for Exeter University student M’Boge, who had impressed for the club during the recent Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series.
With conditions perfect, both overhead and underfoot, it didn’t take the Chiefs long to make their mark. Having kicked a penalty to the right corner, Ollie Atkins won the resultant line-out and although initial drives didn’t prove fruitful, a final thrust from former Pirates prop Rimmer saw him drive over for the opening try, converted by Simmonds.
It was just the start the home side would have envisaged, but instead of building on their early dominance, they allowed their rivals from the other side of the Tamar tocome back into the contest.
Fly-half May reduced the arrears with a routine penalty on ten minutes, before the visitors were denied a first try by referee Karl Dickson, who deemed they had been held up on the line following a sustained spell of pressure.
Undeterred, the Cornishmen continued to go about their business well and they edged themselves in front on 17 minutes when, following another close-range line-out, they fashioned the opening for flanker Cheeseman to burrow his way over the line for their opening try.
With things not going quite to plan for Baxter’s side, they kicked back into gear before the end of the first quarter to claim their second converted score. Lachie Turner created the initial havoc with a break from deep, then when he was halted the Chiefs worked the ball through the phases, allowing Salmon to drive over for his first score in Exeter colours.
Just minutes later and the hosts were extending their advantage, the home pack again providing the platform for prop Holmes to squirm his way over for the score, converted by Simmonds to make it 21-8.
The Chiefs continued to dominate proceedings, but there cause was hampered somewhat just minutes before the break when Kvesic was yellow carded for persistent infringing.
HALF TIME EXETER CHIEFS 21 CORNISH PIRATES 8
Playing parity was soon restored on the resumption and Kvesic wasted little time in getting stuck back into the action, the England international ran a lovely line off a Freeman feed from the line-out, only to be halted just shy of the Pirates line.
The Chiefs used the resultant scrum to threaten once more, this time going with the more direct approach through their forwards, the fruits of which eventually led to a fourth score from Tongan hooker Taione. Simmonds maintained his unblemished record with the boot, stroking over a fourth successful conversion.
Both sides took the opportunity to introduce fresh stock from the sidelines, the Pirates drafting on both Josh Caulfield and Tom Lawday, both of whom are dual-registered with them this season from the Chiefs, while the home side brought on the experienced duo of Will Chudley and Moray Low.
But it was the fresh muscle of the Chiefs that made the difference, the home side hitting the Pirates with a quickfire, try double.Aussie international Turner set up the first, outpacing the Pirates defence before offloading to M’Boge to score in the corner; then from a well-drilled, five-metre line-out, replacement hooker Innard found his way over after Ollie Atkins had plucked the set-piece from the area.
Simmonds continued to plunder the extras, adding conversions to both scores to put the Premiership outfit firmly in control at 42-8 entering into the last quarter of the match.
The Pirates - to their credit - refused to lie down despite the scoreline and they were rewarded when they claimed a second try through O’Meara, who having made the most of turnover ball, chipped the kick over the head of Freeman, before racing half the field to score with ease.
It proved only a momentary let-off for the visitors, who leaked an eighth try with ten minutes remaining when summer signing Freeman was able to find his way over in the left corner. This time Simmonds did not convert, his kick drifting just wide of the near post.
Although the Chiefs huffed and puffed late on, they could not hit the half century of points as the Pirates valiantly defended their line in the latter stages.
Chiefs: L Turner (S Morley 59); S M'Boge (H Strong 63), T Hendrickson, H Skinner, P Laverick (H Cully 72); J Simmonds, S Townsend (capt, W Chudley 50), C Rimmer (M Low 50, G Holmes 79), E Taione (J Innard 59), G Holmes (W Norton 59); T Salmon (E Holmes 74), O Atkins (W van der Sluys 63); J Freeman, J Salvi, M Kvesic.
Tries - Kvesic, Salmon, G Holmes, Taione, M’Boge, Innard, Freeman; Conversions - J Simmonds (7)
Yellow Card: Kvesic
Pirates: T May; A O'Meara, D Koster (A Higgins 72), N de Battista, K Moyle (AJ Cant 68); L May (J Elderkin 69), A Day (M Pope 50); M Walker, T Channon (T Cowan-Dickie h/t), C Judge (J Andrew h/t); C Morgan (capt, J Caulfield h/t), T Freeman (R Cooper 59); D Lee (T Lawday h/t), A Cheeseman, T Duncan (J Stevens 54).
Tries - Cheeseman, O’Meara; Conversion - May; Penalty - May
Referee: K Dickson