Exeter Chiefs edge Leicester to reclaim second spot in Premiership

Exeter Chiefs returned to second place in the Premiership table with a composed 24–10 victory over Leicester Tigers in front of a capacity crowd at Sandy Park.

Tries from Greg Fisilau, rising star Campbell Ridl and Stephen Varney, along with a penalty from Henry Slade, proved enough for Rob Baxter’s side, who were left to rue missed opportunities for a bonus point that would have lifted them to the top of the standings.

Exeter struck early, surviving an initial scare before Fisilau powered through the Tigers defence from 15 metres to open the scoring after 10 minutes. The hosts almost doubled their lead soon after, only for Leicester to hold up Bachuki Tchumbadze over the line following sustained pressure.

The Chiefs did not have to wait long for their second. Twenty-year-old winger Ridl continued his impressive emergence by producing a moment of individual brilliance, delicately chipping over his opposite number, regathering at pace and gliding past Ollie Hassell-Collins before diving under the posts for his first Premiership try.

Harvey Skinner thought he had extended Exeter’s advantage further moments later, but his effort was ruled out after replays showed a push in the build-up. Leicester responded swiftly, with Cameron Henderson crossing after Olly Cracknell broke through, keeping the visitors within reach at the interval.

Exeter weathered early second-half pressure before Slade calmly slotted a penalty in the 50th minute to stretch the lead to 17–7. Leicester’s task became harder when replacement Sam Williams was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle, and although they briefly returned to full strength, another yellow card followed soon after as Stephen Searle was penalised for going in from the side.

The Chiefs made their numerical advantage count in the 72nd minute when Fisilau again broke the line and released Varney, who touched down to effectively seal the contest with his second try in as many matches.

Leicester managed a late consolation penalty through Searle, while Exeter came agonisingly close to a fourth try in stoppage time. Ridl lost control as he went over in the corner, and Will Goodrick-Clarke was then denied when the ball was dislodged at close range, costing the hosts a valuable bonus point.

The defeat leaves Leicester fifth in the Premiership after eight rounds, while Exeter move to within a point of leaders Northampton and one clear of Bath in third.

Back-to-back wins, following last week’s success at Saracens, underline Exeter’s resurgence after finishing second-from-bottom last season and reinforce their growing status as genuine title contenders.