Understrength Chiefs hammered by Baxter
EXETER’S priorities were evidently elsewhere as the reigning Premiership champions conceded a bonus point win to a near full-strength Gloucester.
With potential home fixtures against Lyon and Leinster in the European Champions Cup looming large, Exeter chose virtually a third team with four of their starting line-up making their Premiership debuts.
Weakened Chiefs made a decent fist of it as their opponents didn’t wrap up the match until the dying stages but Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter was clearly irritated by their performance.
He said: “The reality is we are double champions and our standards have got to be very high if we want to maintain that place within the game.
“I can take it on the chin if youngsters make mistakes but more experienced players can’t continue to make repeated errors if they want a career at Exeter.
“I said to the players that they probably made me a bit disappointed with the first-half performance, and then to see us drop away in the second half, I know we are better than that.
“My job is when it is tough to be tougher. And that is what it feels like tonight.”
Baxter’s comments were somewhat harsh as the inexperienced Chiefs were competitive throughout with highly promising performances from full-back, Josh Hodge and fly-half, Harvey Skinner.
Up front, Don Armand and Tom Price led the way but slowly but surely the home pack gained control of the match to run out deserved winners.
Combative Ruan Ackermann and two-try hooker, Henry Walker were their leading lights but it was still a patchy performance from Gloucester, who struggled to find fluency in their back division.
There was a commendable effort from centre Mark Atkinson who tested the defence with a number of powerful bursts, but they need to find ways of providing dangerous wings Louis Rees-Zammit and Jonny May with more ammunition.
However, they did make an explosive start to take an early lead. May was only narrowly denied by the touchline but from the next lineout, Walker drove over.
Exeter soon responded with a superb solo try from Hodge. From inside his own 22, he raced between Billy Twelvetrees and
Rees-Zammit before outpacing Santiago Carreras on a 70m run to the line.
Skinner missed the touchline conversion but succeeded with a penalty before Twelvetrees picked up a yellow card for a high tackle on Hodge.
The visitors immediately capitalised when a strong run from Rus Tuima paved the way for Armand to force his way over.
Walker scored his second from an unstoppable driving maul and Gloucester almost had another when Lewis Ludlow was tackled inches from the try-line by Skinner
after the flanker had intercepted Sam HildagoClyne’s pass.
Exeter led 15-14 at the interval but after the restart, the hosts regained the lead when half-time replacement, Charlie Chapman, darted over.
Gloucester became increasingly dominant with Barton kicking two penalties to one from Skinner before Exeter’s replacement prop, Alfie Petch, was yellow carded for deliberate off-side.
Gloucester immediately sealed victory with a penalty try award for a collapsed maul with Price joining Petch in the bin.