Radio Exe Match Report: Leicester Tigers 40 – 22 Exeter Chiefs

It was a heartbreaking end for a developing Chiefs side as they fell to defeat to Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road to bring their 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership season to an end.

It was a slightly chaotic start from both sides as their want to get into the game immediately hampered their handling and defensive structures weren’t yet sound.

Chiefs were the first to take a settling breath. Working off a clean lineout from Dafydd Jenkins in the Tigers’ 22, the ball went cleanly through the hands of Joe Hawkins to Harvey Skinner onto Dan John for the break.

The fullback was tackled but got ball away from the floor to Olly Woodburn who fed fellow winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to curve inside with a run to the line for the try.

It was a clean strike of the conversion from near the touchline for Henry Slade to secure the extra two points.

Handre Pollard got the home side onto the score sheet with 15 minutes on the clock when Exeter were penalised for straying offside just inside their own 22.

The home side brought the crowd to life on 20 minutes when Ollie Hassell-Collins was released for a run down the touchline. He shrugged off the first tackled from Woodburn before breaking through the contact of Skinner to cross for the try. Pollard then secured the extra two.

A second came their way five minutes later when Jack Van Poortvliet spotted a gap, sniping through it having taken ball from the base of the ruck. A canter-step released his boot from Greg Fisilau’s grasp as the scrum half ran in the try which his half-back partner converted.

A disagreement broke out in the next phase of play as referee Karl Dickson immediately went to his pocket for a yellow card to Woodburn for a knock-on as Leicester tore downfield. However, Chiefs pleaded the case that as Woodburn had gone in with two hands, every intention was made to catch the ball. Dickon brought in the TMO, but ultimately it was deemed just a penalty, not the penalty try that Leicester captain Julian Montoya looked to have called for.

Slade shortened the gap with two minutes left in the half as Chiefs were awarded a penalty for Tigers having kicked the ball out of the ruck just inside their own 22. The Chiefs man then indicated a shot at goal to secure the three points.

With the clock in the red on the first half, Chiefs were reduced to 14 men for a second time having only just gotten back to their full contingent. This time it was Feyi-Waboso who was sent to the sin bin in a complete replica of the offence called against Woodburn.

Half-time: Tigers 20 – 10 Chiefs

Tigers reclaimed their momentum at the outset of the second half. A chip-kick off the boot of Fracois Van Wyk forced Woodburn to dot the ball down for a goal-line drop-out. The kick went awry, allowing Tigers to work the ball across field into the hands of danger man Tommy Reffell on the outside edge. The Welshman ran in the try which Pollard then converted.

When Chiefs spilt ball in a tackle on their 10 metre line, Tigers jumped upon by the hosts. Freddie Steward took the pop pass, heading for the try line with Mike Brown running his supporting line. He took the ball into the breakdown, but Brown was able to quickly dive out to ground it. Pollard added the extras.

The work was frantic and bruising as Baxter’s men got their second try of the day. They had to weather countless phases across the whole width of the Tigers line before replacement hooker Dan Frost was able to force himself into what looked to be an almost non-existent gap to secure the try. It was an uncharacteristic miss at the tee from Slade for the attempted conversion, however.

Tension rocketed on 67 minutes as there was a lengthy check both on the TMO and on the welfare of Ross Vintcent when the Chiefs man was lifted and dumped on his head by Jasper Wiese at a ruck. After deliberation, the Tiger – in his last game for the club – was shown a red card and Chiefs took the momentum all the way to the try line where, poetically, it was Vintcent who took the last slightly bobbled pass to score.

Slade curved the conversion around to secure the extra two points and put Chiefs within two scores.

With five minutes left on the board and an offside penalty awarded, Tigers elected to eat up some of the clock by going for a shot at goal, taking the full minute. Kieran Wilkinson secured the points to add to his side’s tally.

The Chiefs were dealt one last blow with the clock in the red as Harvey Skinner was shown a yellow card for a high tackle. Wilkinson went for goal, taking Tigers to a round 40 points and sealing the win.

Full-time: Tigers 40 – 22 Chiefs

Tigers: F Steward; M Brown, M Scott, D Kelly (Kata 54’), O Hassell-Collins; H Pollard (Wilkinson), J Van Poortvliet (Whiteley 62’); F Van Wyk (Cronin), J Montoya (Clare), D Cole (Heyes 48’), G Martin, H Wells, H Liebenberg, T Reffell (Cracknell), J Wiese.

Tries: Hassell-Collins, Van Poortvliet, Reffell, Brown Conversions: Pollard 4 Pens: Pollard 2, Wilkinson 2

Red card: Jasper Wiese

Chiefs: D John; I Feyi-Waboso, H Slade, J Hawkins (Wimbush 60’), O Woodburn; H Skinner, T Cairns (Armstrong 54’); S Sio (Keast 49’), M Norey (Frost 49’), M Street (Painter 49’), J Dunne (Tshiunza 47’), D Jenkins, E Roots (Vintcent 60’), J Vermeulen, G Fisilau.

Unused replacements: Haydon-Wood

Tries: Feyi-Waboso, Frost, Vintcent Conversions: Slade 2 Penalties: Slade

Yellow card: Olly Woodburn, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Harvey Skinner

Referee: Karl Dickson