Exeter stun Leicester to set up Prem play-off drama

The Prem

Leicester: (14) 26

Tries: Pearson, Cracknell, Clare Cons: Bailey Pens: Bailey 3

Exeter: (13) 35

Tries: Woodburn 2, Ikitau, Zambonin Cons: Slade 3 Pens: Slade 3

Andrea Zambonin's late try helped to lift Exeter Chiefs back into the Prem play-off places as they won 35-26 against third-placed Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Olly Woodburn's early try was cancelled out by Leicester debutant George Pearson as Orlando Bailey kicked three first-half penalties to Henry Slade's two.

Len Ikitau's try put Exeter in front soon after the break before he set up Woodburn for his second score 11 minutes later.

Woodburn was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on with 22 minutes left as the hosts upped the pressure and Olly Cracknell forced his way over for the Tigers.

Leicester continued to control the territory and were rewarded when Charlie Clare put his side a point in front with 11 minutes to go.

But four minutes later Zambonin went over in the left corner for Exeter to secure a try-scoring bonus point and a vital win in the play-off shake-up.

Exeter's win - a first home defeat for Leicester since March 2025 - meant they move back into fourth place in the Prem, three points clear of fifth-placed Saracens, who they host in their final regular season game on Saturday.

Henry Slade kicked a late penalty to deny Leicester a losing bonus point but they remain in third place, two points off second-placed Bath and three in front of Exeter, with a showdown at Bath for home advantage in the play-offs next weekend.

Having seen Saracens and Bristol win on Saturday, Exeter knew they had to win at Leicester for the first time since December 2020 if they were to return to the top four.

Bailey's early penalty was cancelled out as Exeter's England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso produced a scintillating run from deep inside his own half to glide past a couple of home tacklers before feeding Woodburn 22 metres out as the veteran back went in under the posts.

Slade added a penalty for Exeter before Pearson scored his first Prem try after 14 minutes when Bailey's perfectly weighted kick sat up for the full-back to race in down the left flank.

Adam Radwan had a try ruled out on the half-hour mark after replays could not conclusively prove that he had grounded the ball but Bailey went on to kick a second penalty after a spell of pressure from the hosts.

Slade kicked his second penalty seven minutes from the break, while Bailey responded with a penalty with the final play of the half as the Tigers again pushed for a try before the break.

Shortly after the restart Exeter went back in front as Ikitau dived over in the left corner after a break from his Australia team-mate Tom Hooper set up field position in the Leicester 22.

Ikitau turned provider 10 minutes later as his quick pass against the flow of play put Woodburn in for his second try with 27 minutes left.

Exeter had Woodburn yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on five minutes later as Leicester encamped themselves deep in the visitors' red zone.

Their pressure eventually told as the Tigers' pack crushed Exeter in a scrum allowing Cracknell to score after they had done well to turn the ball over within 10 metres of the visitors' line.

But Exeter were not to be undone, and back to full strength they struck the decisive blow with seven minutes remaining - Harvey Skinner's superb looping 35-metre pass found the Italian lock on the wing and he dived into the left corner to secure victory.

Slade kicked a penalty in the final minute to complete a victory that also ended any hopes of Bristol Bears making the top four, meaning Exeter's clash with Saracens on Saturday will decide which four teams make the semi-finals.

Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling told BBC Radio Leicester:

"Our set-piece wasn't good enough, we allowed them to run at us and we didn't take our chances.

"Against a good team, who played well today, it's fine margins - and we didn't execute when we needed to.

"We were frustrated because of the inaccuracies, and being inaccurate led to us not being physical and I'm incredibly frustrated.

"It means nothing in terms of what we have to do next week, that stays the same, but it's incredibly frustrating.

"That's not what we want to do in front of our fans. So we've got six days to go at Bath. We will review this, but we'll dust ourselves off very, very quickly and we know the task at hand."

Exeter Chiefs forwards coach Ross McMillan told BBC Radio Devon:

"I loved the fact that the guys just keep getting better and better, and the thing is they enjoy what they're doing.

"Coming away and having challenges like this place, not just the league table but then the respectfulness around what Leicester have achieved in the league, we saw it as a challenge and we met it head on.

"Going into these games you get that little bit of flavour that if you're going to win this tournament you've got to be able to beat these teams.

"For us now our focus shifts towards Saracens next week."

Leicester: Pearson; Radwan, Wand, Bailey, Hassell-Collins; Titcombe, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Martin, Chessum (c), Liebenberg, Reffell, Moro.

Replacements: Clare, Van der Flier, Hurd, Henderson, Watson, Cracknell, Whiteley, Kata.

Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Ikitau, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (c), Zambonin, Hooper, Roots, Fisilau.

Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tuima, Tshiunza, Cairns, Wimbush, Brown-Bampoe.

Sin-bin: Woodburn (58).

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.