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Chris Ashton breaks 100 try milestone in Tigers rout

By PA
Exeter Chiefs Olly Woodburn is shown a red card following a second bookable offence during the Gallagher Premiership match at the Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, Leicester. Picture date: Sunday April 16, 2023.

Leicester wing Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick en route to becoming the first player to record 100 Premiership tries as Exeter’s play-off hopes evaporated on an afternoon of high drama at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

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Exeter were making a decent fist of trying to end their worst-ever away run in the Premiership until their wing Olly Woodburn was harshly red-carded just after half-time.

Leicester were leading 22-12 at that point but they took full advantage of the dismissal to storm their way to an emphatic 62-19 victory – their sixth consecutive league win.

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As well as hat-trick hero Ashton, Matt Scott scored two tries for Tigers with Dan Kelly, Jack van Poortvliet and George Martin also touching down. There was also a contentious penalty try award with Handre Pollard kicking a penalty and four conversions. Jimmy Gopperth added two conversions.

Sam Simmonds, Stuart Hogg and Rus Tuima scored Exeter’s tries with Joe Simmonds and Harvey Skinner each slotting over a conversion.

Leicester were forced into an early change when prop James Cronin left the field in discomfort to be replaced by Tom West.

However, they immediately overcame that setback to take the lead as Pollard made a clean break from halfway before chipping ahead for Kelly to collect and score.

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It was then Exeter’s turn to suffer an injury blow when centre Solomone Kata hobbled off to be replaced by Rory O’Loughlin.

Exeter’s miserable start continued when they conceded a second try. From a ruck on their 22 an alert Van Poortvliet saw space on the blindside to feed Ashton, who kicked ahead for his team-mate to regain possession and score.

Exeter needed a swift response and got one thanks to a solo effort from Sam Simmonds. The number eight ran a superb line to collect a pass from scrum-half Will Becconsall before evading three defenders to crash over.

The score enabled Simmonds to equal Neil Back’s record of 59 tries for a Premiership forward and it was the catalyst for the Chiefs to dominate the early stages of the second quarter.

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However, they could not capitalise and it was Leicester who struck next when Pollard kicked a simple penalty after Woodburn had been yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.

Pollard was also responsible for the next score, albeit unintentionally, when his ill-judged cross-field kick was intercepted by Exeter centre Sean O’Brien ahead of intended target Anthony Watson.

O’Brien was supported by Becconsall and Sam Simmonds to give Hogg a simple run-in.

Exeter soon suffered another blow, though, when O’Loughlin became the second Chiefs player to be carded for a deliberate knock-on and Tigers took immediate advantage, Ashton collecting Watson’s kick for his 99th Premiership try and leaving his side with a 22-12 half-time lead.

Within three minutes of the restart, Leicester were awarded a controversial penalty try and with it picked up their bonus point.

A superb burst from Jacob Wiese looked to have led to the history-making 100th try for Ashton but TMO replays showed that Woodburn had dived on top of the grounded Tigers wing after he had been tackled by Hogg.

The referee ruled Ashton’s foot had been in touch so, rather than an historic score for the former England international, a penalty try was harshly given for Woodburn’s offence, with the Chiefs wing subsequently sent off for a second yellow card.

However, Ashton was not to be denied as moments later he achieved his century before Ben Youngs appeared from the bench to become the 37th player to reach 300 appearances for the club.

Chiefs were completely shellshocked so it came as no surprise when Martin and Scott added further tries for the hosts before Ashton completed his hat-trick to take Tigers past 50 points.

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There was still time for Scott to score his second try and Leicester’s ninth before Tuima ended proceedings with a consolation for Exeter, who suffered a seventh successive away defeat in the Premiership.

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Easy_Duzz-it 30 minutes ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The world never caught up the All Blacks just went backwards . After 2015 they had a plan to build the team around 2 players . Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett , Cane was hailed as the next Mccaw and Barrett the next carter . Unfortunately Cane sustained too many injures and Barrett despite being a great ball runner didn't have a high enough conversion rate or the game management skills to control the team and the game . Then to make matters worst , the selections were so bad year after year the forward pack became shockingly weak .

New Zealand had so much talent wasted betwen 2016 - 2023 . Laumape , elliot dixon , ben tamefuna , pita gus , ben lam , vaea fifita and so many other in form players that never got a look or the time to develop into great All Blacks .


Then you have the dual playmaker system that never worked , but they kept using it . why ? cause some men cant admit when they're wrong . thats the All Blacks between 2016-2023 . wrong coaches with the wrong vision , going in the wrong direction . now it appears the world caught up . but like I said the world never caught up . then you add the obvious flawed referee calls that happen to go against us more often then for us now . the worst of which that never gets called is when the opposition use rush defence but have players offside . this has been going for years , but who cares ? .


anyway its almost 10 and i need to get some shut eye .

Go the might All Blacks !!!!

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