Toulouse 43-40 Exeter Chiefs: Slade Misses Last-Kick Penalty

Toulouse beat Exeter Chiefs 43-40 in round one of the Champions Cup on Sunday, October 18th, at the Stadium de Toulouse, and they did it with 14 men for most of the afternoon. Exeter had a late penalty to draw the game, but Henry Slade pulled it wide with the clock in the red.

The lead changed hands seven times and it came down to the last kick. Exeter go home with a losing bonus point and a long think about what might have been.

	Toulouse	Exeter Chiefs
Half-time	24	26
Full-time	43	40
Tries	Capuozzo, penalty try, Brennan, Thomas, Remue 2, R Ntamack	Wimbush 3, Yeandle, Varney, Butt
Conversions	R Ntamack 3	Slade 5

How Did Toulouse v Exeter Chiefs Unfold?

Zack Wimbush put Exeter ahead early. He started on the wing in place of the injured England international Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, and he made the most of it.

Toulouse hit back through Ange Capuozzo and a penalty try, which also sent Exeter full-back Sam Harris to the sin-bin. Then the game turned. Toulouse prop Rodrigue Neti was sent off for shoulder-to-head contact on Ross Vintcent with the hosts 12-7 up.

Wimbush scored again, before Joshua Brennan and Teddy Thomas put Toulouse 10 points clear. Thomas was then yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, and Exeter used the two-man advantage. Jack Yeandle and Stephen Varney crossed to make it 26-24 at the break. Eight tries, four each, and two yellow cards. In one half.

How Did Slade Miss The Last Kick?

Will Butt stretched Exeter’s lead to nine after charging down an Antoine Dupont clearance. Toulouse responded with tries from Matias Remue and Romain Ntamack, who converted both, to go back in front. Wimbush finished his hat-trick and Slade’s conversion put Exeter ahead again.

Exeter replacement Ben Hammersley was then shown yellow, and Remue’s second try made it 43-40. Exeter won a late penalty and went for the posts. Slade’s kick from about 40 metres drifted just wide. Game over.

Why Does This Toulouse Win Matter?

Toulouse started without Thomas Ramos, Julien Marchand, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou and Jack Willis. They still made 167 tackles at 87 per cent, and no visiting side from outside France has won at the ground in more than four years. Exeter, the 2020 champions, came closer than most.

Hollie Davidson refereed, with Rob McDowell and Finlay Brown running touch and Dave Sutherland as TMO, an all-Scottish team of officials.

Toulouse v Exeter Chiefs: Line-Ups

Toulouse	Exeter Chiefs
15 Remue; 14 Thomas, 13 Gourgues, 12 Chocobares, 11 Capuozzo; 10 R Ntamack, 9 Dupont (capt); 1 Neti, 2 Lacombre, 3 Aldegheri, 4 Brennan, 5 Merkler, 6 Cros, 7 Elias, 8 T Ntamack	15 Harris; 14 Wimbush, 13 Slade, 12 Butt, 11 Wyatt; 10 Skinner, 9 Varney; 1 Goodrick-Clarke, 2 Yeandle, 3 Iosefa-Scott, 4 Hooper, 5 Jenkins (capt), 6 E Roots, 7 Vintcent, 8 Fisilau
Replacements: Mauvaka, Bertrand, Colombe, Bonnard Martin, Jelonch, Kouassi, Graou, Menoncello	Replacements: Gulley, Burger, J Roots, Wilson, James, Wolstenholme, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley