Exeter Chiefs v Sale Sharks

Exeter Chiefs ran rampant at Sandy Park on Saturday afternoon as they triumphed nine tries to two over Sale Sharks in round six of the PREM Rugby Cup.

Seven of the nine tries were scored by members of the forward pack while full-back Josh Hodge, on his return from injury, slotted seven from nine off the tee.

Centre Will Rigg opened the afternoon’s scoring. A maul drive for the line after a successful lineout reception from Martin Moloney saw the set brought down just shy of the line. Rigg thought quickly, picking-and-going from the base of the ruck for the try. Hodge made light work of adding the conversion.

Sale’s debutant winger Gurswin Wehr scored the opposition’s first. Receiving ball in space in the five-metre channel, he had a head start on Hodge who couldn’t catch the 27-year-old before the line. Tom Curtis’ conversion kick brought the sides to seven points apiece.

With a move right from their back garden, the Bedlow brothers combined for Sale’s second. Elder brother Sam put a pop pass up to Joe. The younger brother powered his leg drive through contact to reach out and ground the ball. Curtis quickly added the conversion.

The all-reliable maul produced Chiefs’ second try on a half hour played. A clean reception in the air fired into a quick surge from the pack and in a pile of bodies the Exeter men crashed over the whitewash, hooker Julian Heaven in charge of grounding the ball. With Hodge’s conversion, the sides were once more tied.

Just as Sale were catching their breath on the restart, Chiefs launched a fresh attack. Campbell Ridl chipped down the wing for his onrushing teammates to run onto. With a ruck inches from the Chiefs line, loosehead prop Will Goodrick-Clarke seized his moment, taking the ball on himself to barge over for the try.

Hodge had to wait to take the conversion, which did end up being successful, as Sale’s try-scorer Joe Bedlow was shown a yellow card for a cynical tackle off the ball on Ridl.

Match captain Lewis Pearson ensured the Chiefs had the bonus point wrapped up before the break. With a lineout on the Sale five metre line, the lock stormed through the set and nipped over for the try. Hodge’s conversion attempt pulled just wide.

Chiefs marched straight back onto the offensive after half-time. Working ball in the Sale 22, the pack hit repeated recycles eventually produced a try for lock Rusi Tuima who muscled his way over. Hodge struck the ball nicely off the tee for the extra two points.

From one barnstorming forward to another, Josh Iosefa-Scott marked his first match of the year with Chiefs’ sixth try of the afternoon. Scored in the same fashion as Tuima’s, it was once again converted by Hodge.

As the hour ticked by and Chiefs bolstered their pack with a full front-row replacement, Martin Moloney became the sixth try-scoring forward of the day for the Exeter men before Hodge converted the score.

Chiefs went coast-to-coast for their next score. Hodge under the high-ball in his own 22 elected to run the ball. Brought down on the opposition 10-metre line, Chiefs recycled quickly to release Rigg through the line. The centre timed a perfectly weighted pass for Dan John on the edge, whose offload to Tuima on the five-metre completed the score.

Hodge’s conversion topped the Chiefs’ score up to a more than healthy 54 points.

Following a red card to Sale's Ollie Davies for a dangerous tackle in the air, there was time for one last flurry for Chiefs. Replacement Ben Coen linked up with his EURFC and England U20s teammate Ridl for the ninth try. Chipping the ball across field, almost through the uprights, Ridl collected it after a single bounce to put the final touch on Chiefs’ win.

The Exeter men now move to second in Pool A with this five-point result, reinvigorating their cup competition hopes ahead of next weekend’s trip to Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate.