Exeter's costly entry into play-offs
PREMIERSHIP WRAP: Exeter suffered an injury scare when their Scotland international Stuart Hogg limped out of the Chiefs’ 35-22 Premiership victory over Gloucester.
The Exeter fullback appeared to have a problem with the top of his right leg and went off early in the second half at Sandy Park.
The Chiefs, who secured a Premiership play-off place with their seventh successive league win, face Champions Cup quarterfinal opponents Northampton in 10 days’ time.
“We will wait for 24 hours. We are being fairly cautious,” Exeter forwards coach Rob Hunter said about Hogg.
“We won’t take any risks, and we will see where he is at.”
Exeter reached the play-offs with three games to spare, and they look unstoppable in pursuit of a fifth Twickenham final appearance on the bounce.
* Meanwhile Wasps’ 19-year-old Alfie Barbeary, unusually picked at flank instead of hooker, scored three tries in 16 minutes in Wednesday’s 54-7 club-record Premiership win over Leicester Tigers.
The Coventry-based side moves to within two points of third-placed Bristol Bears with the victory as Tigers remain 11th after their heaviest ever league defeat.
“Alfie had an outstanding second half. As an out-and-out rugby player, he’s pretty good. He’s a big project and he’s nowhere near the finished article,” Wasps coach Lee Blackett said.
“We’re trying to manage him by picking him in the back row. He’s a young kid and it takes time to come through in the front row positions, but we’ll keep working on the hooker side of his game,” he added.
* Fiji’s Josh Matavesi scored 15 points as Bath kept Wasps on their toes with a 40-15 hammering of Worcester and 21-year-old flyhalf Marcus Smith went over twice in Harlequins’ 38-15 victory over capital city rivals London Irish.
All Wednesday’s scores and scorers below …
Exeter Chiefs 35-22 Gloucester
The scorers
For Exeter Chiefs
Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Simmonds, Hill, Whitten, Maunder
Cons: Simmonds 5
For Gloucester
Tries: Banahan 2, Gray
Cons: Twelvetrees 2
Pen: Twelvetrees
Yellow card: Charlie Beckett (Gloucester, 40)
Teams
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Tom Hendrickson, 11 Ian Whitten, 10 Joe Simmonds (captain), 9 Jack Maunder, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ben Moon
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Ollie Devoto
Gloucester: 15 Tom Hudson, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Tom Seabrook, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 Billy Twelvetrees (captain), 9 Charlie Chapman, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Jordy Reid, 6 Josh Gray, 5 Danny Drake, 4 Charlie Beckett, 3 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 2 Henry Walker, 1 Corne Fourie
Replacements: 16 Todd Gleave, 17 Alex Seville, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Cameron Jordan, 20 Will Crane, 21 Joe Simpson, 22 George Barton, 23 Alex Morgan
Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant referees: Sara Cox & Paul Dix
TMO: Geoff Warren
Wasps 54-7 Leicester Tigers
The scorers
For Wasps
Tries: Fekitoa, Umaga, West, Barbeary 3, Spink, Kibirige
Cons: Umaga 5, Gopperth 2
For Leicester Tigers
Try: Henderson
Con: Henry
Yellow cards: Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 57), Guy Porter (Leicester Tigers, 76)
Teams
Wasps: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Brad Shields, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Alfie Barbeary, 5 James Gaskell, 4 Joe Launchbury (captain), 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Tom West
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Levi Douglas, 20 Jack Willis, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Jimmy Gopperth, 23 Sam Spink
Leicester Tigers: 15 George Worth, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Dan Kelly, 12 Guy Porter, 11 Harry Simmons, 10 Zack Henry, 9 Ben White, 8 Jordan Coghlan, 7 Thom Smith, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Blake Enever, 4 Cameron Henderson, 3 Nephi Leatigaga, 2 Jake Kerr, 1 Ellis Genge (captain)
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Sam Lewis, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Johnny McPhillips, 23 Andrew Forsyth
Referee: Karl Dickson
Assistant referees: Ian Tempest & Hamish Smales
TMO: Nigel Carrick
Sale Sharks 24-17 Saracens
Scorers
For Sale Sharks
Tries: Postlethwaite, Morozov, Hammersley
Cons: Du Preez 3
Pen: Du Preez
For Saracens
Tries: Segun 2
Cons: Vunipola 2
Pen: Vunipola
Teams
Sale Sharks: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Sam James, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Arron Reed, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Will Cliff, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Ben Curry (captain), 6 Cameron Neild, 5 James Phillips, 4 Matt Postlethwaite, 3 Will-Griff John, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Valerey Morozov
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Tom Curtis, 23 Connor Doherty
Saracens: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Dom Morris, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Manu Vunipola, 9 Tom Whiteley, 8 Andy Christie, 7 Sean Reffell, 6 Calum Clark, 5 Callum Hunter-Hill, 4 Joel Kpoku, 3 Alec Clarey, 2 Tom Woolstencroft, 1 Sam Crean
Replacements: 16 Kapeli Pifeleti, 17 Robin Hislop, 18 Josh Ibuanokpe, 19 Cameron Boon, 20 Janco Venter, 21 Alex Day, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Harry Sloan
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Wayne Falla & Peter Allan
TMO: Trevor Fisher
Bath 40-15 Worcester Warriors
Scorers
For Bath
Tries: Ellis, Matavesi, Stooke 2, Walker, De Glanville
Cons: Matavesi 5
For Worcester Warriors
Tries: Searle, Fidow
Con: Searle
Pen: Searle
Teams
Bath: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Max Clark, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 10 Josh Matavesi, 9 Will Chudley, 8 Zach Mercer, 7 Miles Reid, 6 Tom Ellis, 5 Elliott Stooke, 4 Josh McNally (captain), 3 Christian Judge, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Lewis Boyce
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Kieran Verden, 19 Mike Williams, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Max Green, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Jonathan Joseph
Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Nick David, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Will Butler (captain), 11 Ed Fidow, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Jono Kitto, 8 Tom Dodd, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Matt Cox, 5 James Scott, 4 Justin Clegg, 3 Richard Palframan, 2 Beck Cutting, 1 Callum Black
Replacements: 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Joe Morris, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Matti Williams, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Scott van Breda, 23 Alex Hearle
Referee: Andrew Jackson
Assistant referees: Adam Leal & Phil Watters
TMO: David Rose
London Irish 15-38 Harlequins
Scorers
For London Irish
Tries: Norton, Donnell
Con: Atkins
Pen: Atkins
For Harlequins
Tries: Smith 2, Baldwin, Steele, Penalty try, Murley
Cons: Smith 3
Yellow card: Scott Steele (Harlequins, 13)
Teams
London Irish: 15 James Stokes, 14 Dan Norton, 13 Ross Neal, 12 Phil Cokanasiga, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Jacob Atkins, 9 Ben Meehan, 8 Isaac Curtis-Harris, 7 Josh Smart, 6 Jack Cooke (captain), 5 Chunya Munga, 4 Ben Donnell, 3 Ollie Hoskins, 2 Matt Cornish, 1 Allan Dell
Replacements: 16 Ben Atkins, 17 Harry Elrington, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 George Nott, 20 Izaiha Moore-Aiono, 21 Caolan Englefield, 22 Brendan Macken, 23 Tom Homer
Harlequins: 15 Aaron Morris, 14 Cadan Murley, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 James Lang, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Scott Steele, 8 James Chisholm, 7 Chris Robshaw (captain), 6 Tom Lawday, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Dino Lamb, 3 Simon Kerrod, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Marc Thomas, 18 Will Collier, 19 George Hammond, 20 Archie White, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Ross Chisholm
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: Luck Pearce & Tom Foley
TMO: Stuart Terheege
Sources: RugbyPass & AFP
