Phil Dollman gets away from Simon Hammersley to score for Exeter
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Matches: Exeter Chiefs 46 - 17 Newcastle Falcons

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: Exeter Chiefs | Newcastle Falcons

Exeter ended a run of four Aviva Premiership defeats with a 46-17 victory over Newcastle at Sandy Park.

The Chiefs had the game wrapped up by the end of the first half as they led 32-3, having secured a bonus point thanks to tries from Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Thomas Waldrom and a penalty try.

Slade also added three conversions and two penalties in the first half, but the Falcons lacked pace and rarely broke out of their own half during this spell and their only points came through a Tom Catterick penalty.

The Falcons started to play some running rugby at the start of the second half but it was 16 minutes before the scoreboard was troubled with replacement scrum half Ruki Tipuna's try converted by Catterick.

But the Chiefs, who host the Falcons in the quarter-final of the European Challenge Cup on Easter Saturday, came back with tries from Phil Dollman, converted by Slade, and replacement scrum-half Haydn Thomas, converted by Gareth Steenson.

The Falcons crossed for a late try through flanker Will Welch and a Catterick conversion, but they never really looked like catching the Chiefs to record their first-ever win at Sandy Park in five competitive rugby attempts.

While Exeter retained just one player - prop Tomas Francis - from last weekend's LV= Cup defeat at Saracens, Newcastle brought props Rob Vickers and Juan Pablo Orlandi into the side that won at London Irish in the same competition.

Exeter dominated the opening stages with Slade slotting a penalty, before the fly-half added the conversion to the opening try when outside centre Nowell split the defence to score out on the left.

The Falcons, on the first real foray into the Chiefs half, were rewarded with fly-half Catterick slotting a 20-metre penalty from in front of the posts.

Midway through the half, Slade added another penalty before he scored Exeter's second try when he latched on to a five-metre line-out ball intended for flanker Ben White to dot down. His snatched conversion hit the upright, however.

The Chiefs continued to pin the Falcons inside their own half and then won a series of penalties in front of the posts where they opted for a scrum. After the fourth scrum, referee Thomas Foley awarded a penalty try which Slade duly converted.

The Chiefs secured a try-scoring bonus point in the final minute of the half when the forwards piled over the line and, after consulting TMO Matthew O'Grady, No.8 Waldrom was credited with his 10th Premiership try of the season.

With the words of director of rugby Dean Richards ringing in their ears, the Falcons adopted a different game plan at the start of the second half.

After 16 minutes without a change of score, skipper Dean Mumm won a five-metre line-out but Slade's clearance kick was charged down and Tipuna got the touchdown and Catterick converted from out wide.

But the home side hit back immediately with fullback Dollman stepping inside the final defender for the Chiefs' fifth try. Slade converted Dollman's score to record a 19-point individual match tally, and his replacement Steenson then added the extras to a touchdown from Thomas.

Thoughts of running down the clock were far from the Chiefs' minds as they went in search of a seventh try which would bring up the half century, but it was the Falcons who got the final score with a try from captain Welch.