Chiefs 16 Falcons 3

Exeter Chiefs 16

Newcastle Falcons 9

Mark Stevens at Sandy Park

Exeter Chiefs have played better this season and lost, yet this return to winning ways against Newcastle Falcons was not only welcome, but provided Rob Baxter and his team with the ideal lift ahead of the Christmas period.

Back amongst the Aviva Premiership’s top five, the Chiefs not only overcame the horrid Westcountry weather, but also a stubborn Falcons side to record their sixth league win of the season.

Eleven points from the boot of master marksman Gareth Steenson, together with a try from half-back partner Haydn Thomas, proved sufficient enough to sink the Falcons, whose scant response was a first half penalty from Phil Godman.

This was, however, not a game that will live long in the memory of the 9,000 or so who braved the wintry elements to pack inside Sandy Park.

The Falcons – adopting their own impression of Ebeneezer Scrooge – did little to help proceedings with some streetwise antics to deny Exeter’s best attacking ambitions, but it was never enough to ultimately stop the Chiefs from achieving their end goal.

A week after tackling the reigning European champions RC Toulon in the heat of Southern France, it was back to a wet and windy Sandy Park for the return to domestic action against the visiting Falcons.

Without a win in their previous five league and cup outings, the Chiefs re-jigged their starting line-up for this latest encounter with Damian Welch, Ben White and Kai Horstmann returning to the pack, whilst behind there were recalls also for Steenson and Sam Hill.

The Falcons, meanwhile, welcomed back experienced scrum-half Mike Blair to their ranks in one of six changes they made. Also included from the outset were Danny Barnes, Ryan Shortland, Kieran Brookes, Carlo del Fava and stand-in skipper Ally Hogg, who packed down in the No.8 jersey.

Despite the somewhat new look to both sides, the opening exchanges were hardly anything to write home about as the play was restricted to a frantic arm wrestle between the respective packs.

With a strong wind at their backs, however, it was the Chiefs who looked the more enterprising in attack and on 11 minutes the deadlock was finally broken when Steenson (pictured) slotted the first of three first half penalties when the visitors had strayed offside deep inside their own 22.

Moments later and Steenson, now fully recovered from the shoulder injury sustained early in the home game against Toulon, slotted his second kick when he was able to punish the Falcons for a high tackle on his half-back partner Haydn Thomas.

Newcastle looked to summon a response of sorts, but the Chiefs were proving miserly in defence - as was proven when they first thwarted Dean Richards' side with a solid defensive set from a five-metre line-out; then full-back Luke Arscott put in a crunching hit wide on the left as Alex Tait looked to release colleague Adam Powell into space.

The threat repelled, the Chiefs countered back down field and extended their lead further when Steenson was again able to dissect the posts with a laser-guided kick, this time after Jack Nowell's clever chip and chase was cynically thwarted by Barnes as he looked to close in on the loose ball.

Further chances followed for Devon's finest as the half ticked towards a close, but they were unable to add to their tally as a combination of stubborn defence from the Falcons and some sloppy handling proved costly.

And Exeter's failure to turn pressure into points proved telling as with the last action of an uninspiring half, the visitors - following a sustained spell of pressure - were finally able to open their account when Scottish international Godman dispatched a penalty after the Chiefs were penalised for not releasing at the tackle area.

HALF TIME EXETER CHIEFS 9 NEWCASTLE FALCONS 3

On the resumption it was the Chiefs who were quickest out of the traps, but their early endeavours failed to bring reward as first Steenson saw a long-range penalty fall short of the mark, before a series of attacking waves were eventually brought to a halt when White's pass was spilled by hooker Jack Yeandle.

Undeterred, the home side continued to press hard in attack as first Steenson's clever 'show and go' cut open the Falcons defence only for the Irishman to be felled just short; then Ian Whitten and Horstmann both threatened with raids just metres from the Newcastle line.

The Falcons were clearly hanging on, doing their utmost to stop the Chiefs by any means possible. Hands in at the ruck afforded the Chiefs a penalty to the corner and from the ensuing play, Baxter's men worked the ball back inside from the line-out, allowing scrum-half Thomas to snipe over for the try, which Steenson duly converted.

Replacements from both sides were entered into the fray in a bid to inject some much-needed life into what was still a rout contest, but with conditions continuing to prove testing and the Falcons carrying out pretty much every trick in the book to slow down the Exeter ball, the game went from a gentile jog to that of a slow meander.

With referee Greg Garner seemingly content to allow Falcons to continue their ugly tactics, the sole bright spot of a turgid last quarter came when Exeter replacement Fetu'u Vainikolo was momentarily allowed to turn on the after burners with a searing run down the right flank.

However, the Tongan's electric burst ultimately came to nothing and for the dying embers of the game it was back to the stop-start nature which had sadly dominated the second period.

For the Chiefs, though, this 'ugly' victory was not only needed, but also timely ahead of next week's impending trip to English Rugby's HQ where Harlequins lie in wait for the latest Big Game instalment.
Chiefs: L Arscott; J Nowell (F Vainikolo 75), I Whitte, S Hill, T James; G Steenson (H Slade 70), H Thomas (W Chudley 58); B Moon (B Sturgess 58), J Yeandle (C Whitehead 58), H Tui (A Brown 61); D Mumm (capt), D Welch (J Hanks 49); D Ewers, B White (D Armand 61), K Horstmann.

Try - Thomas; Conversion - Steenson; Penalties - Steenson (3)

Falcons: A Tait; N Cato, D Barnes, A Powell (J Helleur 53), R Shortland; P Godman, M Blair (W Fury 53); R Vickers (G Shiells 65), S Lawson (G McGuigan 65), K Brookes (S Wilson 53); C Del Favo, F McKenzie (S Tomes 66); R Mayhew (W Welch 75), A Saull, A Hogg (capt). Replacement (not used): R Clegg.

Penalty - Godman

Referee: G Garner

Attendance: 8,955

UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v Harlequins (A), Aviva Premiership, Saturday, December 28 (4pm)