Chiefs continue unbeaten home run

Exeter Chiefs 19 Gloucester 10

Thomas Waldrom finished top of the try pile for 2015 and the Exeter No.8 is hoping to replicate the feat this time round as his double helped the Chiefs to victory over Gloucester.

The free-scoring forward, who scored 16 touchdowns last season, took his tally to eight for this term with a first half brace that enabled Rob Baxter’s side to keep up their pursuit of Saracens at the top of the Aviva Premiership table.

Winger Olly Woodburn added a third score, while fly-half Gareth Steenson wrapped up the job with two conversions of his own.

In reply, Gloucester – who trailed 19-0 at the break – countered in the second half with a converted Charlie Sharples try and a penalty from Greig Laidlaw, but it was never enough in testing conditions at Sandy Park.

Having started the New Year with a narrow loss at rivals Northampton Saints, the Chiefs were hoping a return to home comforts would allow them to rediscover their winning formula.

Certainly Sandy Park has proved ‘fortress-like’ during the past 12 months as it was, ironically, Gloucester who were the last side to win at the Devon venue.

Since then, Baxter’s side have played 13 competitive fixtures on home soil, winning each and every one along the way.

Ahead of kick-off, the hosts made a string of changes with Alec Hepburn, Ollie Atkins and Julian Salvi all added to the pack, while James Short’s return meant Jack Nowell was shunted inside to centre and Michele Campagnaro dropped to the bench.

Gloucester, fresh from their home win over London Irish, made two changes to their side, recalling international duo Ben Morgan and Laidlaw to their ranks.

With personnel in place and conditions horrendous, it was onto the action itself with the Chiefs having first use of the howling wind blowing from the wild west.

And it was Devon’s finest who started with a canter, Waldrom claiming his first of the afternoon on six minutes when he lapped up a charged down clearance to collect the loose ball and dive over by the posts for Steenson to convert.

Four minutes later and the famous arm-punching ‘Toot Toot’ signal emerged again as the free-scoring No.8 was propelled over from a five-metre line-out by his team-mates to put the Chiefs up by 12 points in as many minutes.

It was a dream start for the Chiefs, whose streetwise approach was not only forcing the Cherry & Whites into a catalogue of errors, but was making decent yardage themselves.

Gloucester momentarily threatened midway through the half with a series of attacking raids, but they could find no way through the rock solid Exeter defensive line, who having absorbed the threat then countered to deadly effect.

Roaring back down field, Baxter’s side positioned themselves deep inside enemy territory and when the visitors looked to clear their lines through former Cornish Pirates full-back Rob Cook, he was nailed in the tackle and the ball fell invitingly to Woodburn (pictured) who did the rest with an assured finish.

As so often the case, Steenson, wide on the right flank, drilled a sublime conversion between the sticks and the Chiefs were seemingly in cruise control.

Again the visitors looked to find a way back into the contest as half time approached, but still the ‘Men In Black’ were producing a miserly defensive showing, summed up by one particular bone-crunching hit from Geoff Parling.

Half time: Exeter Chiefs 19 Gloucester 0

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