Connon gives Chiefs another kick in teeth
THE expectations of the Sandy Park crowd rose when Exeter unleashed Sam Simmonds – once again overlooked by England boss Eddie Jones in midweek – but despite his best efforts Newcastle replacement Brett Connon kicked the Chiefs to their third home defeat in four matches this season.
Connon, introduced after Joel Hodgson – on his 150th Falcons appearance – missed a conversion and a simple penalty, settled a tight match with a 72ndminute 40-metre angled penalty.
“Joel had done well up to that point after not having played much recently but Brett came on and took his chance,” said Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards.
With international calls depriving both sides of key players, Newcastle’s welldrilled pack, led by hard-working skipper Will Welch, matched the Chiefs all the way.
“Will Montgomery started in the second row and did well, which is why we think so much of him,” said Richards. “We’ve a few boys out through international calls and injuries but showed our strength in depth where we have the boys to come in and be competitive.”
Newcastle were missing Adam Radwan, Jamie Blamire and Trevor Davison with England, Argentina’s Matteo Carreras and Italy’s Marco Fuser while Exeter were without England’s Henry Slade and Jonny Hill, Scotland’s Stuart Hogg and Sam Skinner and Argentina’s Facundo Cordero plus the injured Luke CowanDickie, Johnny Gray and Dave Ewers.
Already beaten at home by Northampton Saints and London Irish, the Chiefs fell behind after eight minutes when a penalty to the left corner enabled a stop-start Falcons maul to rumble
hooker George McGuigan over the line.
The Falcons continued to pound away at the Exeter line but the Chiefs held out and finally hit back after Skinner poached McGuigan’s lineout overthrow.
Jack Yeandle made the initial thrust and two tap penalties and several drives later Exeter struck when Ollie Devoto sent Joe Simmonds in between the posts, with the full-back also converting.
Exeter introduced Sam Simmonds for Richard Capstick in the 45th minute and he upped the tempo with two powerful surges
which stretched the Falcons defence before Don Armand forced his way over.
Newcastle brought on their England squad returnee Calum Chick for Carl Fearns and were handed a numerical advantage when Jack Nowell was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.
They made it pay, securing the lineout following Hodgson’s penalty to the corner and Ben Stevenson raced through the gap left by Nowell’s departure but Hodgson failed to add the extras.
Then, just after Nowell returned, Hodgson squandered
a chance to kick the Falcons ahead when he pulled a straightforward offside penalty wide.
Connon took his place and kicked the visitors into the lead with eight minutes left on the clock – but the drama wasn’t over.
Kyle Cooper’s knock-on presented Exeter with a scrum nine metres out only to then be penalised for not releasing.
Connon kicked the penalty to touch but, with six seconds left, Exeter stole their lineout and were awarded a penalty – but lost the resulting lineout and Newcastle gratefully hoofed the ball into touch.