Mixed fortunes for Exeter Chiefs sides

Exeter Chiefs maintained their position at the top of Pool E in the Premiership Rugby Cup with a dominant 36-14 victory over Hartpury University on Saturday afternoon. The six-try performance saw Chiefs control the game for much of the contest against their Championship opposition.

Winger Paul Brown-Bampoe opened the scoring early, capitalizing on a slick move involving Harvey Skinner and Tommy Wyatt. Scrum-half Tom Cairns soon doubled the advantage, sniping from close range after sustained pressure in the Hartpury 22. Skinner converted but was shortly after shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.

Hartpury responded through scrum-half Mike Austin, who stepped inside a defender to score following an offload near Exeter’s 22. Nathan Chamberlain’s conversion brought the home side within a single score, but Chiefs hit back before the break through hooker Dan Frost, who finished off a break by Zack Wimbush.

Half-time: Hartpury 5-19 Exeter Chiefs.

The visitors wasted no time in securing their bonus point, as Ethan Roots crashed over from a rolling maul two minutes into the second half. Brown-Bampoe then grabbed his second of the afternoon, finishing a well-crafted cross-field kick from Skinner. Chiefs’ sixth and final try came via centre Tamati Tua, who latched onto a perfectly weighted chip over the defence from Skinner to score under the posts.

Hartpury had the final say with a last-gasp effort from Harry Short, converted by Chamberlain, but the result had long been decided.

With two home fixtures remaining in the pool stage, Chiefs will look to cement their place in the next round in front of the Sandy Park faithful.

Full-time: Hartpury 14-36 Exeter Chiefs.

Meanwhile, Exeter Chiefs Women narrowly missed out on victory in a pulsating 31-30 loss to Harlequins at Sandy Park. Despite an impressive attacking display, Chiefs were undone by a late try from England star Ellie Kildunne, which sealed the win for the visitors.

Chiefs got off to a strong start, with Hope Rogers crossing the whitewash after an early penalty and lineout drive. However, a stunning intercept try from Maddie Grant quickly put Quins ahead. Chiefs’ resilience shone through as Merryn Doidge and Claudia MacDonald combined for a well-worked try, restoring their advantage.

A yellow card for Rogers before the break gave Quins an opportunity to hit back, and they took it through Lisa Neumann’s score, leveling the game at 12-12 before halftime.

Half-time: Exeter Chiefs Women 19-12 Harlequins Women.

The second half saw Chiefs extend their lead through Liv McGoverne’s penalty and another MacDonald try. But Quins struck back with tries from Kildunne and Claudia Pena, closing the gap to a single point. McGoverne slotted another penalty to push the score to 25-24, but Chiefs' inability to close out the game proved costly.

MacDonald’s second try seemed to have secured the win, but with time running out, Kildunne sliced through the Chiefs' defence for a decisive score. Cromack’s conversion sealed a dramatic one-point victory for the visitors.

Despite the defeat, Chiefs secured two crucial bonus points to keep their playoff hopes alive as they look ahead to their next fixture.

Full-time: Exeter Chiefs Women 30-31 Harlequins Women.