Exeter Chiefs player ratings from Newcastle Falcons defeat - 'Hit and hope'

Newcastle Falcons beat Exeter Chiefs 24-18 at Kingston Park on Friday night in Round Five of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership

Exeter Chiefs poorest start to a Premiership campaign got that much worse on Friday night when Newcastle Falcons ended their 581-day wait for a win in the league with a battling 24-18 victory at Kingston Park.

Falcons scored twice through hooker Jamie Blamire and once through big South African flanker Philip van der Walt, with makeshift fly-half Ethan Grayson landing all three conversions and a vital drop-goal. Chiefs scored a pair of tries through three-quarter tyros Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Josh Hodge, with the full-back adding one conversion and a pair of penalties, but their inability to string together phases saw the Devon side fall to their fifth straight defeat this season.

READ MORE: Newcastle Falcons 24 Exeter Chiefs 18 LIVE: Reaction and highlights from Kingston Park

South West rugby writer John Evely takes a closer look at the individual performances from the Exeter Chiefs players…

15 Josh Hodge - 7

The full-back was one of the few players who could hold his head high as he ran a wonderful line and then gave an excellent pass to create Exeter’s opening try for Feyi-Waboso. He then scored one of his own a minute from time to finish with an individual points haul of 13 having landed two penalties and a conversion. The former Falcon missed with a kick from inside his own half was perhaps a bit over-ambitious.

14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso - 7

The England star took his opportunity to score like the arch-finisher he is, taking a pass at speed and diving into the corner. But for far too much of the match Chiefs were unable to get him involved in the game.

13 Olly Woodburn- 5

The makeshift outside centre came up with an excellent recovery tackle on Ben Stevenson to potentially prevent a try, but had very few opportunities to shine in attack.

12 Joe Hawkins - 5

The Welsh international managed to get his side over the gainline on the rare opportunities he carried the ball, but got outshone by his opposite number Sammy Arnold.

11 Paul Brown-Bampoe - 6

The winger started brightly with an evasive carry that saw him beat four defenders and get Exeter on the front-foot, but his touches of the ball in attacking positions were few and far between and he struggled under the high ball. Some excellent kick-chasing turned some average kicks into decent ones.

10 Harvey Skinner - 5

Chiefs seriously lack a fly-half who can take control of the game when needed, instead, they have one who puts up an up and under from a free kick 5m out from the opposition 22.If anything summed up Exeter's hit and hope approach in attack it was that. In the build-up to Newcastle’s second try he had the ball in his hands moments earlier after an overthrown lineout but a huge tackle on the number 10 saw the ball dislodged and stolen back by Falcons.

9 Sam Maunder - 4

The scrum-half is struggling on his return to the fold after a long injury lay-off. While the execution of his individual skills are up to scratch, with passes reaching their targets and box kicks largely going where they need to, the game management side of his game is almost non-existent. He also got run over for Newcastle’s second try, albeit by giant South African van der Walt and he didn’t duck out of the tackle.

1 Scott Sio - 6

The Australian held his own in the scrum and punched a couple of small dents into the Newcastle defence when he carried the ball.

2 Jack Yeandle - 5

The hooker threw well at the line out but was unable to stop his opposite number from smashing over the try line from a 5m tap and go.

3 Marcus Street - 6

The tighthead won a penalty in the scrum in what was a decent battle in the first half

4 Rusi Tuima - 5

The lock was one of those players guilty of giving away needless penalties in the middle third of the field that allowed Newcastle to kick for the corner and apply pressure.

5 Franco Molina - 6

The big Argentine shone in the lineout as he stole the ball at least twice on Newcastle’s throw to really combat that setpiece area, but he will be disappointed to have got beaten by Blamire at a 5m tap and drive, with the Falcons hooker borrowing under the towering lock to score.

6 Ethan Roots - 4

Having been dropped by England in the week ahead of the Autumn internationals, the big flanker failed to shine at Kingston Park with his performance perfectly encapsulated by a late hit on fly-half Grayson that conceded a penalty to allow Falcons to kick down-field. Petulant.

7 Richard Capstick - 4

The flanker’s engine never gave up as he put himself around the park well, but there is no getting away from the fact that Chiefs were blown away at the breakdown as they were repeatedly turned over. A yellow card for a soft offence defending a lineout, joining the maul from an offside position didn’t help his cause either.

8 Ross Vintcent - 5

The Italian international was full of endeavour but got outplayed by the big Callum Chick with this game ferocious in the tight exchanges.

Replacements:

16 Jack Innard - 6

17 Kwenzo Blose - 5

18 Josh Iosefa-Scott - 6

19 Christ Tshiunza - 5

20 Greg Fisilau - 5

21 Tom Cairns - 5

22 Will Haydon-Wood - 5

23 Ben Hammersley - 5