Exeter Chiefs pick up bonus point win on return to Premiership action

Exeter Chiefs' director of rugby Rob Baxter was happy to pick up five points after an almost two-month break from Premiership action with a 25-16 victory over bottom side Newcastle at Sandy Park. The Chiefs had the four-try bonus-point in the bag by the break but they could not pull clear of the Falcons in the second half, and the visitors could have earned a losing bonus point if Brett Connon had not missed a last-minute penalty.

Newcastle, without a league win since 24 March last year, took a shock early lead through Ben Stevenson's try. But Chiefs hit back to secure a bonus point by half-time through tries from Greg Fisilau, Zack Wimbush, Scott Sio and Rusi Tuima.

Brett Connon's boot kept Falcons in the game but Josh Hodge's late penalty eased any Exeter nerves. Exeter's victory lifts them above both Harlequins, who were well beaten by Saracens, and Bath, who host Sale on Sunday, in the race for the play-off places. Meanwhile, Newcastle have now lost 16 successive league games since beating Gloucester 17-12 at Kingston Park last season.

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"The lads could have made a lot of excuses and they didn't make any," said Baxter. "We had to make changes to the starting line-up yesterday; Ethan Roots then took a bang literally in the last 30 seconds of our warm-up; and we had to change him; and then we don't start well, we get a couple of things wrong defensively and we are seven points down on a wet and windy day.

"But we just knuckled down, we got on with it and we slowly worked our way back into the game, we scored our tries to get the bonus point, and although we were a little edgy at times in the second half because of the scoreboard, I think, when we analyse the game, there was very little threat to our try line.

"I am a little frustrated with the second half, I thought we got a bit bogged down with ourselves, but fair play to Newcastle, they got the ball off the pitch, they made it go from set piece to set piece, and it became a broken down game, and the first half suited us way more, but on the whole the guys managed their way through the game pretty well. I am impressed with the lads, they could have got a lot wrong today, and instead they got a lot right."

Steve Diamond, after his first game as the winless Falcons' new consultant director of rugby, said: "It could have been closer. Our first-half discipline wasn't very good, we had two players sin-binned during the game and gave an opportunist try away when Elliott (Obatoyinbo) kept the ball infield but injured his shoulder so he couldn't retrieve it.

"The second-half performance I felt was pretty good. Taking Newcastle from where they have been in the doldrums, not really being competitive - I thought we were competitive today against a good side who don't lose many at home.

"With a little bit more skill and knowledge we'll be able to pick up some wins during the remainder of the season, and the lads are working hard. I know we had the kick at the end to get a bonus point, but I don't attach any blame to Brett there. He kicked everything else all afternoon, and the game was lost before then.

"We've got to be more disciplined. If you give double-figure penalties away and two yellow cards you're not going to win, and that's the lesson."

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