Aviva Premiership: Exeter Chiefs bounce back to winning way against London Wasps
Exeter Chiefs outscored London Wasps by three tries to two to send the visitors to their ninth successive defeat.
Last Updated: 14/09/13 9:41pm
The Devon side, who suffered their largest Aviva Premiership defeat at Northampton Saints last time out, bounced back to winning way at Sandy Park.
They went inside at the break with a 16-12 lead after wing Tom James crossed for the only try of the opening 40 minutes.
Fly-half Gareth Steenson converted and added three penalties while Andy Goode replied with four for Wasps.
The Chiefs scored two further tries in the second half through flanker James Scaysbrook and a second from James, converted by Steenson.
But Wasps kept battling with tries from wing Christian Wade and flanker Ashley Johnson both converted by Goode.
Early penalties
Exeter conceded two penalties at the breakdown in the opening 90 seconds and the visitors kicked the first - just inside their own half - to touch but Goode stepped up to slot the second between the posts from 30 metres.
After another two penalties in the next five minutes for the same offense, referee Martin Fox warned Chiefs' new skipper Dean Mumm about the persistent infringement, and Goode again found his target.
The Chiefs reduced the arrears after 12 minutes when Steenson landed a 30-metre kick.
That sparked life into the Exeter play as they tested the Wasps defence before wing Tom James breached the line and Steenson converted.
Goode missed his next penalty attempt - from just inside the Chiefs half and in front of the posts - after Mumm was penalised for tugging Wasps' full back Andrea Masi.
But Goode made no mistake minutes later when Exeter stood up at the scrum.
Steenson made three from three with his second penalty on the half-hour mark followed by a third five minutes later when Wasps were reduced to 14 men after Johnson was yellow carded for a high tackle on scrum half Haydn Thomas.
The visitors sought to reduce the arrears before the break as Goode lined-up his fifth attempt from close to the right touchline, but it was the Chiefs who had a 16-12 lead as the players headed towards the dressing rooms.
Ten minutes after the restart, full-back Phil Dollman chipped ahead and an error by wing Christian Wade allowed Thomas to pick up and feed flanker Scaysbrook who barged his way over the line for the Chiefs' second try, which Steenson converted.
A tap penalty from Thomas was fed across the field to James, who skirted round the first defenders into space before racing the 50 metres to the line for his second touchdown, which Steenson converted at the start of the final quarter.
Wasps were quickly back up the other end and wing Wade found a gap in the Chiefs defence to run round and touchdown behind the posts for the visitors' only try, which Goode converted to reduce the arrears to 11 points.
The visitors continued to test the Chiefs defence in the closing minutes and a driving maul saw Johnson get the touchdown, converted by Goode, to secure a losing bonus point for Wasps with a couple of minutes left to play.