Will Evans double fires Harlequins to bonus-point success as Exeter Chiefs’ winless run continues
Harlequins back-row Will Evans in action.
Harlequins picked up their third triumph of the Premiership season as they overcame Exeter Chiefs with a five-try 36-19 victory at Sandy Park on Sunday.
A brace from Will Evans was backed up by scores from Oscar Beard, Rodrigo Isgro and Cadan Murley while Jarrod Evans kicked 11 points in an impressive performance at 10.
For Exeter this is their sixth defeat from six games as tries from Ross Vintcent, Will Rigg and Ben Hammersely were in vain. England’s Henry Slade sent over two conversions.
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Harlequins dominated early possession and territory, with Isgro making a threatening raid into the Chiefs’ 22, and Slade’s early work was heavily in a defensive capacity.
Exeter remained firmly on the back foot, and their defence was unlocked after 14 minutes following a strong run by flanker Will Evans, before fly-half Jarrod Evans sent Beard over for a well-worked try.
The Chiefs needed a response, and they found it just three minutes later as some impressive approach work posed Quins questions for the first time, and Vintcent touched down, with Slade converting.
Back came Quins, though, as they exploited space brilliantly and Isgro ran in from 30 metres, smashing through Olly Woodburn’s challenge. Jarrod Evans’ conversion made it 12-7.
Exeter were at sixes and sevens at times in having any idea how to stop Quins’ free-flowing approach, and Will Evans added try number three early in the second quarter before Jarrod Evans’ conversion opened up a 12-point lead.
Quins could have been out of sight, such was the ease with which they were breaking tackles and finding space, but Exeter stayed in the fight as Rigg finished strongly and Slade converted.
It sparked Chiefs’ best spell of the half, although they were unable to make further inroads and Quins took a 19-14 lead into the interval.
Exeter wing Paul Brown-Bampoe went close to a try inside two minutes of the restart, being tackled into touch at the corner flag, then Quins had a score disallowed from full-back Tyrone Green following a forward pass.
They did not have to wait long to secure a bonus point, though, as Will Evans went over for his second try, and Jarrod Evans’ conversion restored a 12-point gap.
Slade then left the action, and his replacement Hammersley had an immediate impact, scoring Chiefs’ third try and keeping themselves in contention approaching the final quarter.
An Evans penalty edged Quins closer to the finishing line, and Exeter could find no further response as Murley’s late score left Chiefs to reflect on a miserable run of results before a five-week break from Premiership action.
The teams
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Will Rigg, 11 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 10 Will Haydon-Wood, 9 Will Becconsall, 8 Greg Fisilau, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Richard Capstick, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Ehren Painter, 2 Dan Frost, 1 Scott Sio (c)
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Rusi Tuima, 20 Ethan Roots, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Ben Hammersley
Harlequins: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Lennox Anyanwu, 11 Cadan Murley (c), 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Will Porter, 8 James Chisholm, 7 Will Evans, 6 Jack Kenningham, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Jordan Els
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jamie Benson, 23 Nick David
Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant Referees: Luke Pearce, Jamie Leahy
TMO: Tom Foley
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