Following Exeter Chiefs\u2019 24-10 win over Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park, here are our five key takeaways from the PREM Rugby clash.<\/p>\n
The top line<\/p>\n
Exeter Chiefs secured their spot in the top four heading into the New Year thanks to a solid 24-10 win over Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park.<\/p>\n
The Devonians held the advantage right from the off, with Greg Fisilau and Campbell Ridl crossing the whitewash to give them a 14-0 lead inside the opening 25 minutes.<\/p>\n
That nearly became 21-0, with Harvey Skinner crossing after a fine solo break, but his effort was chalked off for a penalty in the build-up.<\/p>\n
Leicester quickly rubbed salt into the wound as Cameron Henderson dotted down minutes afterwards to make it 14-7, which is how the scores stayed heading into the sheds.<\/p>\n
Exeter were again the better side in the second-half, but had to wait until the 74th minute for their next score, which came courtesy of Stephen Varney.<\/p>\n
With the clock winding down, the Chiefs seemed to have grabbed that all-important bonus point as Will Goodrick-Clarke barged his way over from short-range, but his effort was chalked off. The job was very much done by that point, though, with Exeter taking the spoils.<\/p>\n
Play-off race on<\/p>\n
The race for the top four is very much in full swing, with this weekend\u2019s results having a major say in things.<\/p>\n
There are just seven points between table-topping Northampton Saints and sixth-placed Saracens, while the top three are all separated by just two points.<\/p>\n
As this weekend proved, everyone needs to be on their A-game each round if they want to make a fist of it. Bath\u2019s loss, just their second of the year, has seen them drop from first to third, while this defeat for Leicester has seen Saracens pull level on points with them.<\/p>\n
Sale Sharks are also looking to mount a late charge for the top four, and are within touching distance.<\/p>\n
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Next weekend will serve as the concrete proof of where the teams are, with that being the official halfway point of the season, but it\u2019s certainly bubbling away nicely.<\/p>\n What a difference a year makes<\/p>\n This time last year, Exeter had only just secured their first win of the season and were firmly stuck in the bottom two. Now, thanks to this win, they sit second in the table and are among the leading title contenders.<\/p>\n If anything was to sum up the difference between 2024\/25 Exeter and 25\/26 Exeter, it would be this game. They were clinical, they were efficient, they were ruthless.<\/p>\n Exeter<\/a> didn\u2019t actually create many opportunities, but rather took what came their way. Ridl\u2019s score was a result of a perfectly executed strike play, while Fisilau\u2019s came a few phases after a costly Leicester spill. But chances like this wouldn\u2019t have been taken last year.<\/p>\n They will be frustrated about their missed chances, which certainly would come under a spotlight if they\u2019d have lost this one, but that again shows just how far they\u2019ve come in a year. They might not have even created those opportunities last season.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just their efforts ball-in-hand, either. Defensively, they looked solid, connected, hungry. Last year, they looked the opposite of that.<\/p>\n Saracens v Gloucester: Five takeaways as Tom Willis delivers where England \u2018lack\u2019 as Tomos Williams illustrates his \u2018sheer brilliance\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Leicester\u2019s errors were mainly a result of Exeter\u2019s strong work in defence rather than lapses in skill. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso\u2019s tackle on Ollie Hassell-Collins in the first-half was a prime example, while Andrea Zambonin\u2019s and Dafydd Jenkins\u2019 relentless pestering at the breakdown caused all sorts of bother for the scrum-halves.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all change in Devon, and it couldn\u2019t come soon enough.<\/p>\n Own worst enemies<\/p>\n