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Exeter Chiefs 34 Newcastle Red Bulls 28: Reaction and Recap
Exeter Chiefs secured their first Gallagher Prem victory of the season, edging Newcastle Red Bulls 34-28 at Sandy Park. Director of rugby Rob Baxter described the hard-fought win as "bloody stressful."
Nine tries defined the match, with Chiefs' Italian international Ross Vintcent contributing two scores. Newcastle winger Christian Wade registered a hat-trick, becoming only the second player to reach 100 tries at the top tier of English rugby.
Late in the match, Georgian prop Bachuki Tchumbadze powered over to seal victory as Newcastle forward Adam Brocklebank received a yellow card. Eighteen-year-old Jake Dalziel made his league debut for the Red Bulls.
Despite recent ticket price reductions, only 7,071 spectators attended the match, with the North Terrace remaining closed. This reflects persistent fan engagement challenges across the professional competition.
Exeter now face French Top 14 champions Toulouse in an upcoming fixture. The team is monitoring England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who departed early with a hamstring issue.