Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 14-20 Exeter – Chiefs claim first away league win

Exeter Chiefs had to come from behind at Kingston Park as they beat Newcastle Falcons to claim their first away Premiership win of the season.

But the Chiefs stepped it up in the final quarter with two more tries.

Henry Slade got the first and then converted the second from Exeter replacement prop Josh Iosefa-Scott.

Slade missed a routine conversion to add the extras to his own try, as well as an equally simple penalty opportunity earlier – and, trailing 14-13, it looked like that might cost the Chiefs.

But they kept their cool to stretch winless bottom club Newcastle’s run without a Premiership victory to 10 matches, dating back to their last success, at home to Gloucester on 24 March.

Exeter had another scare last weekend when Slade kicked a last-minute penalty to earn the Chiefs a one-point win over Gloucester at Sandy Park.

With an unchanged starting line-up, it initially looked as if it might prove a bit more routine this time, when the visitors scored with their first attack inside 40 seconds as Feyi-Waboso went in at the right corner.

But Newcastle’s response was pretty rapid as dainty-footed hooker Blamire cleverly stepped his way over.

Young Cumbrian Louie Johnson, making his first Premiership start at 10 after coming off the bench in last weekend’s defeat at Sale, added the kick – and then another in the eighth minute to improve try number two from the recalled Moroni, who ran on to a chip kick from Iwan Stephens to touch down on the left.

The Argentina international centre’s return was one of seven changes made by Newcastle – and their reshaped side then more than held their own for three quarters of the contest.

Other than a Slade penalty to reduce Exeter’s half-time deficit to 14-8, there was then no further scoring until the 63rd minute when Ben Hammersley came in off his wing to set up Slade for the Chiefs’ second try.

Slade then missed the chance to kick his side ahead. And, having won all four of their home Premiership games this season, but lost on both of their away trips, to Harlequins and Northampton, at 14-13 down, a third straight defeat on their travels still looked on the cards.

But the much vaunted Exeter pack came up with the goods, Iosefa-Scott burrowed over from close range, Slade kicked the goal to seal the Chiefs’ first away league success in 13 months – and Newcastle had to settle for only a losing bonus point, their fourth one-pointer of the season.

Falcons head coach Alex Codling told BBC Newcastle:

“The group are pretty crestfallen, but the supporters care hugely and there’s no-one who wants to give them a win more than I do.

“But the bottom line is, when you show the courage and no little skill to go ahead 14-5, we should win that game.

“At the moment, we are making some basic errors that will kill you at any level – particularly the Premiership – and that’s not acceptable.

“It’s just the errors that are killing us. We have a habit at the moment of making a mistake and compounding it with another one – and the big challenge is to get back on the front foot.”

Exeter head coach Ali Hepher told BBC Radio Devon:

“There’s obviously been a change in personnel, the young players coming into the side. We’ve been in the fight against Northampton and Harlequins but there were little experience errors there and things we’ve worked through.

“We controlled large parts of the game – the territory was all us the second half, but then we gave up ball, we didn’t convert in the five metres.

“How we clear a path for the ball needs to be improved. Falcons had a clear tactic to try and strip the ball, which they were very successful at.

“There are bits there we have to improve but game management-wise, we controlled the game, controlled territory. Hopefully we’re moving in the right direction and it’s nice to win.”

Newcastle: Penny; Radwan, Moroni, Hutchison, Stephens; Johnson, Elliott; Brantingham, Blamire, Bello, Hawkins, McDonald, Rubiolo, Pepper, Chick (capt).

Replacements: Byrne, Brocklebank, McCallum, van der Walt, Cross, O’Sullivan, Jennings, Brown.

Exeter: Wyatt; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hawkins, Hammersley; Skinner, Cairns; Sio, Yeandle, Painter, Tuima, Jenkins (capt), Vermeulen, Roots, Davis.

Replacements: Norey, Hepburn, Iosefa-Scott, Pearson, Vintcent, Townsend, Haydon-Wood, Hendrickson.

Referee: Christophe Ridley.

Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace & Jon Healy.

TMO: Dean Richards.