Leicester Tigers are PREM Rugby Cup champions. The Midlands side ripped apart Exeter Chiefs in a torrential rain-filled match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts put ten tries past the travelling Chiefs, displaying a dominant performance from minute 1 to minute 80.
It started poorly for the visitors, with William Wand sliding over for Leicester’s opener after just five minutes, and the men in green didn’t hold back from then on. Tommy Reffell had secured two turnovers on the floor within 10 minutes, indicating the intensity with which the Tigers would impose over their opponents throughout.
Minutes later, scrum half Tom Whiteley would pop a brilliant short ball to Ollie Hassell-Collins, as he slid through a gap in the Chiefs’ defence, before throwing it left to Archie Van der Flier for his first try of the afternoon.
Next, after a poor pass from Tom Cairns to Will Haydon-Wood off the lineout, the fly-half slung the ball wide without paying due care or attention, only for Billy Searle to make the interception, taking Tigers beyond 20 after just 12 minutes.
With the rain pouring down, Exeter were struggling to keep hold of the ball and were achieving very little in attack. All the threat was coming from the hosts.
It appeared as though 20-year-old Harry Palmer was set to extend Leicester’s lead minutes later, but he was brilliantly brought down by Josh Hodge just a metre from the tryline.
Leicester did finally get their fourth when Joaquin Moro broke away from the back of the scrum in his own 22, racing down the Exeter end, before Tom Whiteley put in a sizzling crossfield kick to Wand to touch down acrobatically in the opposite corner.
It was Billy Searle’s turn to be rewarded next, working in conjunction with his halfback partner to latch onto a chip over the top to make it five before the break.
Exeter finally got onto the scoresheet right before the end of the first half, as Ross Vintcent piled over for their first.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
Andy Farrell applauds ‘Irish fridge’ for ‘immense’ performance after ‘biding his time’
More of the same
The game returned to normality after the half, with Archie Van der Flier getting his second of the game, before Leicester were awarded a penalty try, and Chiefs Martin Moloney was issued a yellow card.
Wand was later yellowed for Leicester, giving the Chiefs their first chance to fight their way back into the game.
Haydon-Wood scored shortly after, thanks to a tip-on from Rusi Tuima. His good fortune wouldn’t last long, however, as he kicked the ball directly into the hands of Gabriel Hamer-Webb in his own 22 just minutes later, allowing the rapid winger to round his opposite number and score in the corner.
The game was done, and the score all but settled, so both sides allowed their benches’ full run-outs. Young Ben Coen saw plenty of action for the Chiefs, while veteran James O’Connor was given plenty of the ball for the Tigers.
Another messy bit of play from the Chiefs later saw Tarek Haffar run in from 20 metres, and Australian legend James O’Connor scored the 10th try to finish the game off once and for all.
Final score: Leicester Tigers 66-14 Exeter Chiefs