Chiefs win Cup opener

Argentina fly-half Ignacio Mieres enjoyed a memorable debut for Exeter as he kicked 19 points in a well-deserved 29-6 LV= Cup victory over Wasps.

It was also Exeter's debut in the competition, but just as in the Aviva Premiership they hit the ground running and looked at home in higher level competition.

Mieres kicked five penalties and converted tries from centre Sireli Naqelevuki and left wing Matt Jess, while Wasps' points came through a penalty in each half from their young outside centre Elliot Daly.

Rob Baxter completely changed his Exeter starting line-up, while Wasps chief Tony Hanks made seven changes from the side that secured a 17-8 victory at Leeds, for Wasps' first ever visit to Sandy Park.

Mieres put the home side into the lead after seven minutes with a 40-metre penalty on his senior Chiefs debut, while Wasps fly-half Mark Van Gisbergen missed the opportunity to level the scores three minutes later.

Debut

But when the visitors had a second attempt a couple of minutes later, up stepped 18-year-old schoolboy Elliott Daly to take the kick from 40 metres and he neatly slotted it between the uprights on his senior debut.

Mieres, kicking into the sun, was off target minutes later with a penalty and a drop-goal attempt but it was the Chiefs who scored the first try of the game starting from a lineout 30 metres out.

The Chiefs drove on and then when the ball was released centre Sereli Naqelevuki, who was due to join up with the Fiji squad after the game, brushed aside a couple of tackles to touch down with Mieres adding the extras.

Wasps' troubles continued when they were reduced to 14 men when Scottish referee Neil Paterson showed a yellow card to blindside flanker Will Matthews as the Chiefs again pinned back the visitors deep in their own half.

Exeter looked to capitalise on the extra man as Mieres kicked across field where Fijian full-back Josh Matavesi knocked-on when going for the ball under the challenge of Wasps' Samoan wing David Lemi.

14 men

No sooner had they been restored to full strength than Wasps were back down to 14, as lock Marty Veale was sent to the sin-bin for an apparent punch on the stroke of half-time as the Chiefs led 10-3.

The hosts then created a try from deep in their own half, Matavesi kicked into the Wasps 22 and wing Jess chased the ball down and beat the last defender to it before going over the line.

Mieres added the conversion and a penalty from out wide but Daly landed a second penalty, also from out wide, only for Mieres to kick a third penalty, leaving Wasps requiring three scores in the final quarter to steal the game.

Mieres, who did have a couple of problems with his line kicking with the ball going out on the full, landed his fourth penalty. Powell then became the third Wasps player to spend time in the sin-bin with one minute left to play.

After missing for the second time in the game, Mieres landed his fifth penalty on the stroke of full-time to leave Baxter with a headache over his team selection for Friday night's game away to Cardiff.