Exeter and Sale keep play-off hopes alive with Gallagher Premiership wins

The Chiefs and Sharks sit just outside the top four while Newcastle remain bottom without a win

Exeter Chiefs' Olly Woodburn scores their third try (David Davies/PA Wire)

Exeter Chiefs kept alive their Gallagher Premiership play-off hopes by brushing aside West Country rivals Gloucester 38-17 at Kingsholm. The Chiefs still have it all to do, lying four points adrift of the top four with only two regular season games left.

But they remained in the mix ahead of remaining fixtures against Harlequins and Leicester through a bonus-point victory orchestrated by England centre Henry Slade.

Slade’s creative midfield presence caused Gloucester problems all afternoon, while he also kicked a penalty and converted all five of Exeter’s tries from flanker Jacques Vermeulen (two), full-back Dan John and wings Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Olly Woodburn.

Ninth-placed Gloucester undoubtedly had an eye on next weekend’s European Challenge Cup semi-final appointment with Benetton, and they never seriously threatened Exeter despite tries by wing Jonny May, flanker Jack Clement and lock Arthur Clark, while fly-half Charlie Atkinson added one conversion.

Exeter made the early running and almost went ahead when scrum-half Tom Cairns charged down a kick from his opposite number Stephen Varney, but although Gloucester escaped on that occasion, they fell behind to a 40-metre Slade penalty. Gloucester then went close through centre Max Llewellyn, but Exeter were quickly back on the front foot and extended their lead after 14 minutes.

The home side managed to halt a driven lineout, but Exeter stayed patient and Vermeulen went over from close range with Slade adding the conversion. Exeter continued moving impressively through the gears, and a second try arrived just four minutes later after Joe Hawkins sent his midfield partner Slade through a huge gap, with John providing the finish.

Slade’s conversion made it 17-0, leaving Gloucester in all kinds of strife until May provided a glimmer of hope for them when he scored a try 11 minutes before the interval. But Exeter soon reasserted themselves on the contest, cutting open Gloucester’s defence courtesy of Slade’s break, and Woodburn applied the finish. Slade converted from the touchline, yet Gloucester had the first-half’s final say when Clement crossed unopposed, reducing Exeter’s lead to 24-10.

Gloucester began the second period brightly through strong attacking work from May and Llewellyn, only to see Exeter regain territorial control and Harvey Skinner’s long pass send an unmarked Feyi-Waboso over to score.

Slade’s immaculate form with the boot continued via a touchline conversion, but after Clark charged down a Cairns clearance to score and Atkinson converted, Gloucester threatened an unlikely fightback. Centre Chris Harris broke clear in midfield and found Varney in support, and it took an outstanding cover tackle from Skinner to deny the Italy international.

It was a warning to the Chiefs, but once again they responded and Vermeulen’s second try, converted by Slade, put considerable daylight between the teams. Gloucester pushed for their fourth try and a losing bonus point during the closing stages, but Exeter comfortably kept them out as they made it an emphatic case of job done.

Elsewhere, Sale Sharks strengthened their Premiership play-off ambitions with a 35-14 victory over winless Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.

Sale won 35-14 against Newcastle (Getty Images)

Tries from Ben Curry and Joe Carpenter put the visitors in command in the first half, before Guy Pepper reduced the deficit to a converted try. A Tim Cardall score levelled the game to give Newcastle fans hope of a rare win, but Luke Cowan-Dickie swiftly dotted down to restore the Sharks’ lead.

There was no way back this time for the north east side, who were denied a losing bonus point after tries from Tom Roebuck and Rob du Preez in the final 10 minutes.

Sale had registered bonus-point wins in their last two Premiership games and knew another here would take them to within two points of fourth-placed Bristol Bears. In contrast, their opponents suffered an 85-14 thrashing at Ashton Gate last week and were desperate to end their long winless streak in the competition, having not tasted success since March 2023.

Both sides struggled to take control in the early stages, regularly kicking for territory while stoppages for injury also broke up the play, with Elliott Obatoyinbo withdrawn for a head injury assessment.

The hosts began to put Sale under extended pressure, winning multiple penalties in succession approaching the 20-minute mark but they could not break through stubborn defensive resistance. And as has happened so often for the Falcons this season, their opposition punished them at the other end - Curry breaking from a maul to run in from the right after 26 minutes. Carpenter doubled the advantage three minutes later after good work from Manu Tuilagi - the ever-reliable George Ford added the extras on both occasions to leave the north east side facing a mountain to climb again.

They began in perfect fashion before the break as Pepper grabbed a try from a maul to bring the long-suffering crowd - the highest Falcons home attendance since December 2018 - to their feet. And they continued to reel Sale in after the interval, finally levelling when Cardall rounded off a spell of huge pressure with a pick-and-go left of the posts.

Their frailties at the back came to the fore once again, however, as Cowan-Dickie powered through to dot down and restore the Sharks’ lead. Roebuck added insult to injury when he sidestepped a challenge to go over from close range, giving them the crucial bonus point and denying Newcastle a losing one of their own.

Three consecutive league wins were secured when Du Preez finished off a good move for Sale‘s fifth try of the day three minutes from time.

Additional reporting by PA Sport Staff