Match Report – Exeter 25 – 24 Gloucester

Henry Slade scored the all-important penalty to seal a memorable Gallagher Premiership victory at Sandy Park over Gloucester; the victory means Exeter Chiefs proceed their wonderful house run towards their native rivals

Exeter Chiefs overcame a nine-point deficit within the remaining eight minutes to proceed their unbeaten run at house, sealing a 25-24 victory with the final kick of the sport.

Henry Slade landed a 45-metre penalty with the final kick of the match to safe victory and preserve Gloucester’s depressing file at Sandy Park.

In an error-ridden West Nation derby, Gloucester led 24-15 with 4 minutes remaining, however a late transformed strive from Stu Townsend and Slade’s late penalty ensured their dropping run continued – they haven’t received a league fixture at Sandy Park since January 2015.

Rusi Tuima, Dafydd Jenkins and Townsend scored Exeter’s tries, with Slade including two conversions and two penalties.

Jack Clement, Ollie Thorley, Louis Rees-Zammit and Seb Atkinson crossed for the guests, with George Barton kicking two conversions.

Gloucester suffered an early blow when their No 8, Clement, was sin-binned for a excessive problem on Tuima, which positioned them below relentless stress.

The guests had been penned in their very own 22, with a rating nearly inevitable, and it arrived when Tuima pressured his means over to offer Chiefs an Eleventh-minute lead.

Clement returned with no additional injury to the scoreboard, however his aspect quickly suffered an extra setback when flanker Albert Tuisue was pressured off with a leg harm.

The primary quarter was a stop-start affair with frequent interruptions and Tuima’s transformed strive was the one rating throughout that largely featureless interval.

Gloucester wanted a lift and it got here within the twenty second minute when Tuima was proven a yellow card for a head-high deal with on George McGuigan, and within the lock’s absence they drew degree.

From a line-out deep in house territory, Rees-Zammit examined the defence with a robust burst earlier than Clement exploded by way of an enormous hole to run in below the posts.

Tuima returned in time to see his aspect regain the lead with a well-created strive. An inside go to Slade noticed the centre race 25 metres earlier than offering skipper Jenkins with a simple run-in.

Slade missed the conversion, however the Chiefs nonetheless held a deserved 12-7 interval lead.

Neither aspect threatened the try-line within the first quarter-hour of the second half and it got here as some shock when Gloucester conjured up a good strive as Santi Carreras gave Thorley a scoring alternative, which the wing took in fashion.

Barton’s conversion rebounded again off a put up so the scores had been degree at 12-12 going into the ultimate quarter.

Exeter had earlier turned down a kickable penalty, however regained the benefit when Slade was profitable from 45 metres after one other visiting infringement.

With 14 minutes remaining, Gloucester took the lead for the primary time when Rees-Zammit deceived two defenders together with his elusiveness and pace to race over.

Three minutes later, Gloucester shocked their opponents by scoring a bonus-point strive by way of Atkinson to reward a sustained interval of stress.

Townsend darted over with 4 minutes remaining for the hosts, with Slade’s conversion getting them to inside two factors of the away aspect.

Slade’s last-gasp penalty snatched victory to maintain Exeter’s spectacular house file for the season intact.