Young Chiefs given lesson by French giants

»»THE final scoreline – which is all that history will remember – was cruel on Exeter Chiefs, whose young side went toe-to-toe with the fivetime Champions Cup winners Toulouse until the 48th minute before getting blown away 4-2 at the Stade Ernest Wallon on Sunday.

Exeter took the lead 19-17 in the 42nd minute through Henry Slade’s fourth successful penalty kick of the game after an early try from Ethan Roots, but then the floodgates opened and the French side ran in nine tries in total with a defiant Zach Wimbush score for Chiefs.

In midweek, Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter (above in France) said he was confident his side could find a way to score but was less certain the Devon side could keep out the free-flowing attack of Toulouse and so it proved with the Top 14 outfit setting a new record for points scored against Chiefs since their promotion into the topflight in 2010.

Toulouse, who will face Harlequins in the semi-final next month, had a trio of players record braces Blair Kinghorn, Pita Ahki and Juan Cruz Mallia, and solo scores for Romain Ntamack, Jack Willis and Antoine Dupont. Scotsman Kinghorn finished with 23 points after kicking five conversions and a penalty to add to his pair of tries. His replacement Thomas Ramos added six points to the tally from the kicking tee.

Express & Echo, published by Express & Echo News and Media, First Floor, Princess Court, PL1 2EX. Phone 01392 349000. Classified advertisements 08444 0021. Registered office One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AP. Registered office in England No. 0829048. Printed by JPIMedia Printing (Portsmouth) Ltd, The News Centre, Hillsea, Portsmouth PO2 9SX. For permission to copy cuttings, contact the NLA, 7 Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1NL, telephone 01892 525273, email copy@nla.co.uk

David Rogers/Getty Images Exeter Chiefs clap Toulouse off the pitch in France on Sunday – after they were beaten in the European Champions Cup