Exeter 34-13 Glasgow: Hosts seal bonus-point win in Champions Cup
Saturday 23 November 2019 17:49, UK
Joe Simmonds kicked 14 points and Exeter Chiefs ran in four tries as they sealed a bonus-point win at home to Glasgow Warriors in the Champions Cup.
Glasgow led 13-10 at half-time in the Pool 2 clash at Sandy Park thanks to a try from Nick Grigg and the kicking of Adam Hastings.
But Henry Slade's try soon after the restart put the Chiefs into a lead they would not surrender, going on to secure the try-scoring bonus point while fly-half Simmonds kept the scoreboard ticking over in their favour with his boot.
The Warriors made a positive start to the contest and took the lead in the ninth minute after Tommy Seymour sent Nick Grigg through for a try which was eventually confirmed by the TMO.
Hastings converted and Exeter responded through a penalty from Simmonds four minutes later. But it was not until the 28th minute that either team managed to get on the board again in difficult wet conditions.
It was the hosts who got that score, taking advantage after Ryan Wilson was penalised for a high tackle and setting up an attack which was finished when Hill opted to pick and go from close range for a try converted by Simmonds.
Fly-half Hastings kicked Glasgow into a three-point lead at the break with back-to-back penalties inside the final seven minutes of the half, but there were barely two minutes gone when play resumed before the Chiefs went back in front.
A break from Jack Nowell, making his first appearance of the season for his club, was followed by the winger flicking a pass inside to support runner and fellow England international Slade, who stepped on the gas and darted over close to the posts for a converted try.
The Chiefs were in again on 54 minutes when Hill rose to pluck a line-out from the air and set up a powerful drive from the home side's pack which ended with Sam Simmonds scoring a try which his younger brother again converted.
The bonus point was secured just before the hour mark when Exeter launched a devastating counter-attack from deep in their own half, with Henry Slade dabbing through a grubber kick for Tom O'Flaherty to finish wide on the left, with Simmonds adding the extras.
Both teams had men sin-binned in the closing stages, with Glasgow losing replacement Kiren McDonald for a shoulder charge - No. 10 Simmonds kicking the resulting penalty - and the Chiefs having the elder Simmonds shown a yellow card following a string of penalties on their own line.
Replacement hooker George Turner managed to get over for a try during that period, but it proved little more than consolation for the visitors as Exeter went top of the pool with maximum points from their first two games.
