Chiefs down Wasps

Editor

Exeter Chiefs picked up their first points of the new Premiership season on Saturday with a 30-26 win over Wasps at Sandy Park.

Exeter Chiefs picked up their first points of the new Premiership season on Saturday with a 30-26 win over Wasps at Sandy Park.

Tom James touched down twice as Chiefs secured their first win of the campaign.

Both sides were looking to respond to first day losses, but it was Exeter who went into the interval 16-12 ahead through James' first try and the boot of Gareth Steenson.

Andy Goode kicked four penalties to keep Wasps in the game before the Chiefs pulled away in the second period with James Scaysbrook and their Welsh winger going over.

Christian Wade and Ashley Johnson crossed late on for a losing bonus-point, but the visitors still succumbed to their second consecutive loss.

The hosts were surprisingly disappointing in their opening Aviva Premiership encounter, going down 38-11 to Northampton Saints. And they found themselves 6-0 behind early on here as Goode, who missed a last-gasp conversion in round one's 16-15 defeat to Harlequins, was on target twice inside the first 10 minutes.

However, the Chiefs responded with a three-pointer of their own through Steenson before James ignored a three-on-one to finish off a well worked move.

After the respective fly-halves had traded penalties Wasps' Johnson was sin-binned for a high tackle. Steenson slotted the resultant opportunity, but the visitors responded well to being a man down when Goode converted his fourth from the tee to reduce the arrears to 16-12 at the break.

But Rob Baxter's men upped the intensity in the second period and Scaysbrook went over for the Chiefs' second try.

James then crossed the whitewash to take them 30-12 ahead with 20 minutes remaining and, although Wade and Johnson touched down to give Wasps a glimmer of hope, they ran out of time.
The scorers:

For Exeter Chiefs:
Tries: James 2, Scaysbrook
Cons: Steenson 3
Pens: Steenson 3

For London Wasps:
Tries: Wade, Johnson
Cons: Goode 2
Pens: Goode 4
Yellow card: Johnson

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Ian Whitten, 13 Sam Hill, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Tom James, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Haydn Thomas, 8 Dave Ewers, 7 James Scaysbrook, 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Dean Mumm (c), 3 Hoani Tui, 2 Jack Yeandle, 1 Brett Sturgess.
Replacements: 16 Chris Whitehead, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Craig Mitchell, 19 Tom Hayes, 20 Ben White, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Henry Slade, 23 Matt Jess.

London Wasps: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Chris Bell (c), 12 Charlie Hayter, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Ed Jackson, 7 Sam Jones (capt), 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 Tom Palmer, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Tom Lindsay, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Neil Cochrane, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Will Taylor, 19 James Cannon, 20 Guy Thompson, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Tommy Bell, 23 Ben Jacobs.

Venue: Sandy Park
Referee: Martin Fox