Dominant Exeter sweep aside Newcastle to go third
The Devon side made it successive wins since the competition resumed after the Six Nations as they ran in six tries at Kingston Park. Chiefs wingers Paul Brown-Bampoe and Campbell Ridl scored two tries each, with Olly Woodburn and Stephen Varney also crossing. The five points lifted Exeter above Leicester Tigers but, crucially, they opened up an eight-point cushion over Bristol Bears in fifth as Chiefs chase a play-off place for the first time since 2021.
It was a chastening night for Newcastle as they lost an 11th league game out of 12 to remain four points adrift of Harlequins with only a brilliant solo try from Christian Wade and a late score from Connor Hancock to show for their efforts. Victory in this corresponding fixture last season ended a run of 25 consecutive league defeats for Newcastle, and Exeter began in a manner that suggested they did not want a repeat. They were on the front foot immediately and, from an attacking line-out on the left, they quickly spread the ball across for Brown-Bampoe to tap down in the corner.
Five minutes later, the Chiefs did the damage down the middle, allowing fly-half Harvey Skinner to find Ridl in acres of space for a simple try. Brown-Bampoe had his second score and Exeter's third after a powerful maul had sucked in most of the home defence, setting up another easy finish. It remained one-way traffic and full-back Woodburn ran in the bonus-point try in the 26th minute as Chiefs continued to drive back Newcastle's rearguard.
Ridl had his second before half-time too - Red Bulls-bound centre Will Rigg created a hole before a lovely offload from Woodburn set up the winger to scramble over. Italy scrum-half Varney scored their sixth try straight after the interval, set up by a sharp pass from Ross Vintcent as another line-out provided the perfect platform. Exeter Chiefs have won three and drawn one of their six away Prem games this season Hopes had been raised at Newcastle by their performance in a one-point loss to Prem leaders Northampton Saints six days ago.
But in Stephen Jones' first home game as interim head coach, the Red Bulls were simply blitzed by their opponents. The only thing they had to celebrate for most of the game was a piece of wonderful opportunism by Wade in scoring his first Prem try for the club and 94th of his career, to move seven behind record holder Chris Ashton. Receiving a pass from Simon Benitez Cruz on the touchline, the 34-year-old jinked and weaved his way past four defenders to score the best try of the game.