Match Report – Exeter 25 – 24 Gloucester

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

Exeter Chiefs gamers have fun after Henry Slade kicks the successful penalty through the Gallagher Premiership conflict with Gloucester Rugby at Sandy Park

Exeter Chiefs overcame a 9-level deficit within the last eight minutes to proceed their unbeaten run at dwelling, sealing a 25-24 victory with the final kick of the sport.

Henry Slade landed a forty five-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 Country derby, Gloucester led 24-15 with 4 minutes remaining, however a late transformed attempt from Stu Townsend and Slade’s late penalty ensured their shedding 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 strain.

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

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

The first quarter was a cease-begin affair with frequent interruptions and Tuima’s transformed attempt 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-excessive sort out on George McGuigan, and within the lock’s absence they drew degree.

From a line-out deep in dwelling territory, Rees-Zammit examined the defence with a powerful 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 nicely-created attempt. An inside cross to Slade noticed the centre race 25 metres earlier than offering skipper Jenkins with a straightforward run-in.

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

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

Barton’s conversion rebounded again off a publish 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 along with his elusiveness and velocity to race over.

Three minutes later, Gloucester shocked their opponents by scoring a bonus-level attempt by way of Atkinson to reward a sustained interval of strain.

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 final-gasp penalty snatched victory to maintain Exeter’s spectacular dwelling file for the season intact.