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Exeter Chiefs player ratings: Rob Baxter’s Bosses they were tasked with arguably the toughest task in club rugby, winning away to the French giants Toulouse at the Stade de Toulouse. A red card for Rodrigue Netia turned what could have been a painful afternoon into a real contest and Exeter showed for long periods that they could live with the French Galacticos. In the end, however, Toulouse’s class said enough, Henry Slade missing a last-ditch penalty that would have salvaged a remarkable draw in a breathless 43-40 defeat.
15. Sam Harris – 5.5
Tough afternoon. He found himself in an impossible position when Gourgues spilled the ball over the line, which eventually led to a penalty try and a yellow card for early contact. A little sloppy under the high ball and never quite established himself despite a handful of decent moments in broken play.
14. Zack Wimbush – 8
What a strange, brilliant and occasionally maddening afternoon from the hulking 6ft 6in, 112kg midfielder operating on the wing. He finished superbly in the corner after Tom Hooper’s early strike in the middle set up the platform, then crashed over again after a superb long pass from Stephen Varney. Defensively, he was huge at times, breaking down carriers and using that colossal frame to great effect. There were stains. He appeared to bite on Capuozzo’s effort, spilled the ball in the 26th minute and his lack of specialist pace on the wing was exposed when he chased down Ntamack’s score. But the positives far outweighed the negatives. He completed his hat-trick despite appearing to be struggling with a hamstring. Huge threat all afternoon.
13. Henry Slade – 4.5
Not one of his better days. Shifting pitching created pressure and Toulouse punished Exeter several times afterwards. Defensively, Remue denied him too easily for the decisive score and that late penalty miss will haunt him. It was good. His distribution was intelligent and he repeatedly put runners in space with measured passes, while his touch-finder after Teddy Thomas’ probing chip was excellent. But overall, a game he’ll want to forget.
12. Will Butt – 8.5
Extraordinary. The Exeter midfielder carried Chiefs over the touchline on a number of occasions and looked one of the few men on the pitch capable of physically troubling Toulouse. He made a big break on a pass from Sam Harris in the first half and then another shortly after the break. His try was fully deserved after he reacted immediately when Ross Vintcent pounced on Dafydd Jenkins’ shot after Dupont. He tackled hard all afternoon and defended with similar intent.
11. Tommy Wyatt – 5.5
He worked tirelessly under relentless aerial pressure and generally carried Toulouse’s game well. However, there was a lucky escape when an elbow appeared that caught the opponent in the face. He held on, but went out early with an injury.
10. Harvey Skinner – 5
A mixed bag. They missed a one-on-one on the Chocobares which Toulouse exploited mercilessly and had moments when the pressure told. At the same time, he attacked the line well when opportunities arose and linked up effectively with his outside backs. Made a nice half break late down the left edge.
9. Stephen Varney – 8.5
Magnificent. He cleared the lines brilliantly early on when Exeter needed relief and provided a wonderful pass to send Wimbush through for his second. His solo try before half-time was pure quality, breaking blinders, brilliant dummy play and sprinting 50 meters to goal. One of the exceptional performances on the field.
1. Will Goodrick-Clarke – 6.5
The Exeter scrum should have extracted far more punishment than Toulouse’s seven-man pack after Neti’s dismissal. It must be held collectively against the first order. He was diligent enough on the field and never backed down from the fight.
2. Jack Yeandle – 7
The 36-year-old is still delightfully effervescent. Typical Yeandle performance. He threw himself at everything, led from the front physically and inevitably tried to emerge from the roll. Strong move against elite opposition.
3. Josh Iosefa-Scott – 6.5
Leading the side in his 100th club appearance, he held his own physically but will be disappointed that Exeter could not turn numerical superiority into scrum dominance. More solid than spectacular.
4. Tom Hooper – 8
Busted Toulouse carriers all afternoon. His early surge in midfield helped open up Wimbush and he played like a man determined to remind everyone of his Test quality. Combined brilliantly with Ethan Roots to disrupt a Toulouse maul soon after the break. Physical, abrasive and influential.
5. Dafydd Jenkins – 7.5
He worked tirelessly against one of the most powerful European packs. He parried Dupont’s shot to set up Butt’s try and drained the tank throughout.
6. Ethan Roots – 8
Adequate workforce. Carried relentlessly, tackled everything in sight and helped spoil one Tulus maul with sheer effort. The Chiefs were in desperate need of sharpness and aggression. He provided plenty.
7. Ross Vincent – 7
Some great moments. He was quickest to react to Jenkins’ attack and showed sharp handling skills to remove Butt. He took on a huge job against a tough Toulouse pack and generally appeared to his credit.
8. Greg Fisilau – 5
A frustrating afternoon as there was plenty of good mixed in with some expensive moments. He produced some big defensive hits early and looked like a brick wall at times. But he was also isolated too often, wandering into no-man’s land defensively for Toulouse’s one try and losing too many physical collisions against Toulouse’s meaty carriers. A game of extremes.
Substitutions – 6
Mixed contribution from the bench. Ben Hammersley added value after arriving earlier than expected, but his yellow card proved costly, especially when combined with Varney’s high tackle seconds earlier. Jimmy Roots brought the energy, Kane James produced a magnificent counter-rack in the 75th minute that looked to prevent a certain Toulouse score, and the substitutions generally kept Exeter alive. Louie Gulley’s deflected line in the 79th minute looked like ending the comeback, only for the Chiefs to somehow win one last penalty and give themselves a shot at glory. In the end, the bench couldn’t help Exeter take full advantage of the extra man, especially in scrum time, but they certainly played their part in a wildly entertaining contest that came within inches of a famous result.
