George Ford put the disappointment of England’s turgid Rugby World Cup campaign firmly behind him as his return to club colours helped Bath kick-off the new Aviva Premiership season with a narrow victory over Exeter Chiefs.
The England playmaker’s 14-point haul – including a penalty two minutes from time – proved the key difference in a tight affair at the Recreation Ground. Ford edged out opposite number Gareth Steenson in the game’s key kicking duel and he was part and parcel of Bath’s one and only try, scored in the first half...
The waiting is finally over and months of hard work on the training fields will at last be put into action as Exeter Chiefs prepare to kick-off their latest Aviva Premiership campaign.
Buoyed by an unbeaten pre-season programme, which saw them lift the inaugural Westcountry Challenge Cup and defeat local rivals Bath and Gloucester, both home and away, it’s down to the nitty-gritty of league action that occupies the thoughts of Exeter head coach Rob Baxter and his squad this weekend.
Fresh from an impressive 43-16 success over Bath at the Recreation Ground last Saturday, the...
Ben Moon has warned his Exeter Chiefs team-mates they can expect the ultimate examination when they kick-off their Aviva Premiership campaign on Saturday away to rivals Bath (2pm).
With a lengthy and gruelling pre-season done and dusted for Devon’s finest, it’s now that the business end is about to begin and the 26-year-old prop is well aware of what looms large on the horizon.
Impressive victories over Bath and Gloucester - both home and away - meant the Chiefs collected the inaugural Westcountry Challenge Cup with an unblemished record and with plenty of positives safely...
Hooker Jack Yeandle admitted it was an “easy decision” to pen a new contract extension with the Exeter Chiefs.
Signed in 2012 from Championship side Doncaster Knights, the 25-year-old forward has quickly settled to Aviva Premiership and European rugby life with his hometown club - and his influence, both on and off the field, was recently rewarded by head coach Rob Baxter, who entrusted him with the role of club captain for the new season.
A key figure in the recent rise of the Devon club, Yeandle has already amassed 50 appearances in English rugby’s top flight, as well as...
A happy Rob Baxter refused to get too carried away despite seeing his Exeter Chiefs wrap up their pre-season programme with an impressive 43-16 victory over Bath at the Recreation Ground.
Having already lay claim to the inaugural Westcountry Challenge Cup with a game to spare, the Chiefs turned round a 16-14 deficit to run in 29 unanswered points in a polished second half showing.
Converted first half tries from Luke Cowan-Dickie and the returning Dave Ewers were cancelled out by three Tom Homer penalties and his conversion of Matt Banahan’s try on the stroke of half time...
Exeter Chiefs duo Jack Nowell and Henry Slade were both on the scoresheet as England concluded their World Cup with a comprehensive 60-3 rout of Uruguay in Manchester.
Winger Nowell crossed three times for Stuart Lancaster’s side, as did No.8 Nick Easter, while Anthony Watson plundered two and there was also a debut score for Slade and a penalty try.
With Lancaster opting to field four fly-halves in his back division, it was Slade, the Exeter centre who used his second cap to produce a performance – albeit against outclassed opponents – that begged the question why this was...
Exeter Chiefs produced a clinical second half display to sink rivals Bath in their final pre-season run-out ahead of the new Aviva Premiership season.
Trailing 16-14 at the turn, Rob Baxter’s side scored 29 unanswered points to ensure they lifted the inaugural Westcountry Challenge Cup with an unblemished record.
Converted first half tries from Luke Cowan-Dickie and the returning Dave Ewers were cancelled out by three Tom Homer penalties and his conversion of Matt Banahan’s try on the stroke of half time.
However, the second half belonged solely to the visitors,...
Exeter Chiefs newcomer Michele Campagnaro will get his first taste of rugby action at Sandy Park when he lines up for Italy in their final Pool D match of this year’s Rugby World Cup against Romania at Sandy Park tomorrow (2:30pm).
Head coach Jacques Brunel has made just two changes to the starting line-up that lost 16-9 to Ireland last Sunday.
After making his comeback from injury in the Ireland match, captain Sergio Parisse drops out of the match-day 23, and is replaced in the back row by Alessandro Zanni.
In the absence of 114-test Parisse, the starting line-up...
Head coach Rob Baxter says he will use tomorrow’s final Westcountry Challenge Cup fixture at Bath as the ideal opportunity to fine tune his Exeter Chiefs squad ahead of the new 2015/16 season.
Having already collected three pre-season wins over Gloucester (home and away) and Bath at home, Baxter knows this latest encounter at the Recreation Ground (5.45pm) offers the final chance for his players to stake their claims ahead of the big kick-off.
With Bath also providing the opposition for Exeter’s opening Aviva Premiership game of the season next week, some may feel neither...
Rugby World Cup 2015 continues to grip the nation with over half a million local and international fans enjoying the Official Fanzones up and down the country to watch live matches and enjoy the excitement of the Tournament.
This is in addition to over one million fans who have already enjoyed the action in venues to date, a figure which is set to double with 2.41 million tickets now sold across the 48 matches.
Rugby World Cup 2015 is on track to be the biggest Rugby World Cup to date, with total match attendance figures surpassing one million, helped by three record-...
