falcons have their wings clipped
EXETER 34 NEWCASTLE 24
Exeter returned to winning ways as the high-flying Newcastle Falcons were shot down at Sandy Park yesterday.
After last week’s defeat at Leicester, Chiefs overcame the loss of Jack Nowell with a facial injury to move back above Newcastle in the Premiership table.
Nic White, Lachie Turner and Sam Simmonds scored Exeter’s tries.
There was also a penalty try award with Gareth Steenson converting all three and adding two penalties.
Will Welch, Alex Tait and Juan Pablo Socino scored tries for Newcastle with Toby Flood adding two conversions.
With just four minutes remaining, however, the Falcons picked up their bonus point when Vereniki Goneva crossed for their fourth try.
LEINSTER 23 MUNSTER 17
Johnny Sexton set a new Leinster points-scoring record in the 23-17 Guinness PRO14 victory over Munster at the Aviva Stadium yesterday.
Rory O’Loughlin’s well-taken brace of tries had the hosts leading 14-7 at half-time, sandwiching an intercept score from Munster fly-half Ian Keatley.
An early second-half penalty saw Sexton eclipse Felipe Contepomi’s 1225 points to become Leinster’s record scorer, before the returning Keith Earls finished off a Tommy O’Donnell-inspired try for resilient Munster.
Two more penalties from man-of-the-match Sexton – taking his provincial career haul to 1234 – sent the blueclad hordes in the 46,374-strong crowd home happy, albeit that Earls’ 78th-minute try bagged the Reds a bonus point.