BAXTER HAPPY TO SEE CHIEFS GET THE BOOZE
Exeter 30 Leicester 6
EXETER boss Rob Baxter told his side to get the beers in after they finished 2017 on top of the pile – and 10 points clear in the Premiership.
Champions in May, Chiefs are in pole position to repeat the trick after this bonus-point win.
Hooker Jack Yeandle got the extras in injury time after Henry Slade had broken the back of the game in the 64th minute with a 40-metre run-in – following a Jonny May blunder.
Baxter said: “It has been one of those years you don’t want to end. We have not taken the bad experiences too seriously and have not got too carried away with the good ones.
“I hope everyone will go away now and have a few beers and decompress a little bit and enjoy their New Year’s Eve.
“And then we’ll all have a headache and we’ll get on with things and make sure Tuesday is a good training day because that, ultimately, is what will makes us successful.”
Leicester can’t wait to get stuck into 2018 after a miserable year ended with a run of six straight defeats – their worst trot since 1965. Boss Matt O’Connor said: “It takes its toll. It certainly speaks volumes for how competitive the league is.
“We have to pick ourselves up – the history isn’t such an issue.
“The only thing we can do is work harder.”
Exeter, playing with the wind, threw everything at Tigers in the first half but only led 6-3 at the break.
Chiefs flanker Don Armand got the first try when he was driven over by Dave Ewers.
Centre Slade made the most of May, playing at full-back, letting a high ball bounce and flapping at it before sprinting home, in front of Eddie Jones.
Then second row Jonny Hill went over in the corner and Yeandle scored from a driving line out before Baxter gave the green light for a knees-up.