Chiefs book place in semi final

Match report: Dragons 32 Exeter Chiefs 37

Defending champions Exeter Chiefs booked their place in the last four of this season’s LV= Cup with this hard-fought victory away to Newport-Gwent Dragons.

Rob Baxter’s side ran in five tries on their way to victory in Wales through Adam Hughes, Fetu’u Vainikolo, Tom James, Sam Skinner and a Penalty Try, but they were made to fight all the way by the Welsh region who themselves ran in four touchdowns of their own during a points-filled second half.

It was no more than the Chiefs – whose other points came courtesy of former Dragons ace Ceri Sweeney – deserved in a forward-dominated display at Rodney Parade.

Having already booked their place in the last eight of Europe with their victory over Bayonne, Baxter’s team were now aiming to advance to the latter stages of the Anglo-Welsh competition that they won last March against Northampton Saints.

Not surprisingly, Baxter took the opportunity to rest a number of his frontline stars, allowing instead other members of the first-team ranks to showcase their talents.

Indeed, of the starting XV against the Frenchmen, only Ian Whitten remained in place.

Despite the re-jig in personnel, the Chiefs weathered an early Dragons storm to open the scoring on seven minutes when Hughes, one of two former Dragons in the Exeter ranks, pounced on a wayward Newport pass to race clear of the cover and dot down for the opening try, which Sweeney converted with aplomb from wide on the left touchline.

One try soon became two as another incisive break from Hughes saw him cause mayhem in the home ranks – and although he was felled just short of the line, Haydn Thomas was quickly on the scene to feed Vainikolo, who crossed unopposed in the left-hand corner.

The Welsh region briefly countered with a straight-forward penalty from Tom Prydie only for Sweeney to do likewise after the home side were pulled up for straying offside just inside their own half.

With the Chiefs ruling the roost upfront, particularly at scrum time where Tomas Francis was having a field day against former Exeter prop Lloyd Fairbrother, it came as little surprise when the Devonians extended their advantage.

With Fairbrother sent to the sidelines for persistent infringing, replacement Owen Evans fared little better on his arrival as the might of ‘Donny Tommy’ saw him milk another penalty that Sweeney dispatched with ease to make it 18-3 on the half-hour.

Both sides had further chances before the interval to add to the scoreline, but it was the home side who did reduce the deficit when Prydie landed his second penalty of the afternoon.

Half time: Dragons 6 Exeter Chiefs 18.