When Exeter Chiefs give it a real lash at home there is a hint of classic Munster about them. From Leicester’s perspective there were certainly echoes of their 38-0 drubbing at Thomond Park a fortnight ago as they slumped to the latest bleak away defeat of a season that is in danger of going nowhere fast.
Richard Cockerill remained defiant afterwards, predicting his side would still finish in the top four in May. “We’re fifth at the halfway stage of the season and I’d back ourselves to be in the play-offs,” insisted the Tigers’ director of rugby, having watched his side leapfrogged by a Chiefs team who have won six of their past seven games in all competitions. “I’m not sure it’s all doom and gloom.”
With their next two opponents, Saracens and Wasps, occupying the top two positions, however, the new year outlook is uncertain for both coach and club. Mike Williams, just back from his latest arm fracture, departed early with concussion, Logovi’i Mulipola looks set to be sidelined with a twisted knee and Manu Tuilagi is still feeling his way back. Cockerill was also unhappy with the officiating of Tom Foley – “I thought the referee had a really poor game” – and he plans to complain to the Rugby Football Union referee’s manager, Tony Spreadbury.
The Chiefs’ forwards, by contrast, are purring once more and eagerly awaiting their next two away fixtures, at Bath and Saracens. The home side scored 21 points without reply in the first half, with Don Armand, Thomas Waldrom, Jack Nowell and Will Chudley all influential, and also defended well. While Waldrom was initially credited with two rolling maul tries before Jack Yeandle claimed the first of them, the ‘Tank Engine’ still managed to boost his tally to 44 tries in 68 games since moving to Devon from Welford Road. He has finished as English rugby’s top try-scorer for the past two campaigns and is co-leading this year’s Premiership race with seven.
As was the case at Glasgow and Munster in the European Champions’ Cup, Leicester’s forwards found themselves under the cosh from the outset – “Not at the races” was Waldrom’s verdict – and a slight second-half improvement brought only modest reward in the form of consolation scores for the replacements Harry Thacker and Jonno Kitto. Otherwise this festive outing from the east Midlands yielded little in the way of westward ho-ho-ho.
Even when Ed Slater, their captain, broke the defensive line and looked certain to touch down, a swooping Nowell dislodged the ball at the last minute and Owen Williams had a straightforward conversion attempt charged down by Phil Dollman. There was a certain inevitability about Ollie Devoto’s 66th-minute bonus point try, with a slight doubt over the fitness of Henry Slade the only seasonal headache for Rob Baxter.
The England three-quarter, who had been looking in good nick, took a bang to his shoulder and neck but an initial scan was promising and Baxter reckons his squad are otherwise in promising shape: “This means our destiny is back in our own hands. It’s up to other teams to take it off us now.”
Exeter Dollman; Nowell, Devoto, Slade (Hill, 29), Woodburn (Short, 72); Steenson (capt), Chudley (Maunder, 69); Moon (Rimmer, 63), Yeandle (Cowan-Dickie, 55), Francis (Holmes, 55), Lees, Hill (Atkins, 63), Dennis (Hortsmann, 61), Armand, Waldrom.
Tries Waldrom, Yeandle, penalty, Devoto. Cons Steenson 4. Pen Steenson.
Leicester Burns (Worth, 69); Thompstone, Roberts, Tuilagi, Betham; O Williams, Harrison (Kitto, 64); Genge (Mulipola, 66-72), McGuigan (Thacker, 55), Cilliers (Cole, 45), Slater (capt), Fitzgerald, M Williams (Kitchener, 23), O’Connor, Hamilton (Evans, 66).
Tries Thacker, Kitto.
Sin-bin Kitchener 34.
Referee T Foley (RFU). Attendance 12,420.
