Exeter Chiefs v Royal Navy Rugby

A blend of youth and experience prevailed for Exeter Chiefs on Wednesday evening as they were victorious over a Royal Navy side in a mid-week friendly at Sandy Park.

Four tries in the first half put Chiefs on the front-foot before an additional two after the break wrapped up the win for the home side in front of more than 1,800 vocal supporters.

Scrum-half Orson James scored the first try of the evening, to the delight of the West Grandstand. Working well with ball in the Navy 22, the number nine backed himself with the short reload and was over the line before anyone could get a hand on him. Ben Hammersley lined up before splitting the uprights with the conversion.

No stranger to playing at Sandy Park as the opposition, former Gallagher PREM man Sam Matavesi scored the Navy’s first after 10 minutes. Throwing in to the lineout to set-up the driving maul, the Fijian international took control of the ball at the rear as the Navy men forced their way over for five points.

There was one for the Chiefs forwards on 17 minutes when loosehead prop James Burgoyne took a pop pass off the base of the ruck from James to crash over from a metre out for a second Chiefs try. Hammersley took the simple conversion in front of the posts to make it a full seven-point score.

Navy hooker Matavesi had his second when his side made quick work of exploiting the man advantage after Chiefs’ scorer Burgoyne was sent to the sin-bin for repeated infringements on the Exeter line. Jake Hanley slotted the conversion to bring the visitors within two.

Chiefs quickly pulled back their more comfortable lead when captain Lewis Pearson took the ball on beneath the Navy sticks, shimmying his way over the whitewash. A third clean conversion from Hammersley took Chiefs past the 20-point mark.

With the first half clock ticking two minutes into overtime, No 8 Alfie Johns spotted his moment. The young academy player peeled off the back of the set-piece, storming over the line for a fourth Chiefs try.

The visitors struck first in the second half, with replacement Will Riglesford snaking his way over for a try in front of the grandstand. The replacement had everyone momentarily confused as he had switched shirt numbers before taking to the field, but he was credited with the try as Hanley added the conversion.

Just shy of an hour played, Max Norey stepped up as the scorer of Chiefs’ fifth try. Picking and going from the base of the ruck in a lone strike, the hooker bagged five points before fly-half Will Lane made it seven with the conversion.

Navy replacement Jack Davis clawed one back for his side in the final quarter as George Edson converted. However, home captain Pearson had the final say of the evening. The lock forward went over for a try with four minutes left on the clock. With Lane’s conversion, Chiefs hit a round 40 points.

The game was preparation for the Navy’s upcoming interservice fixtures but provided an invaluable opportunity for a young cohort of Chiefs academy players as well as first-team injury returnees to gain extra game-time.