EXETER 22 GLOUCESTER 10

GLOUCESTER got off to the worst

possible start to the 2010/11 Aviva Premiership campaign with a

defeat to newly promoted Exeter.

A deafening Sandy Park saw their team

record their first ever victory over the Cherry and Whites as they

got the fairy tail ending they wanted.

Nicky Robinson was off target with

three penalties and a conversion attempt as Gloucester struggled to

breakthrough the home team's well marshalled defence.

It was not pretty as Exeter used their

big pack to full effect and there was no sign of the free running

rugby everyone was expecting.

Bryan Redpath's men struggle to record

another win on the road despite playing their final two pre-season

games away from home.

This is just the second time in ten

years Gloucester have lost on the opening weekend of the season and

Redpath will have to pick his troops up for the visit of Leeds

Carnegie next week at Kingsholm.

Exeter scored the first try of the

match when former Kingsholm favourite Mark Foster was given too much

space out wide on the left and he crosses to score.

Gareth Steenson was successful with the

conversion after six minutes to give them the perfect start to life

in the Premiership.

However, a good spell of pressure by

Gloucester saw them rewarded with a five-metre scrum near the Exeter

line.

Number eight Luke Narraway broke off

the back of and fed scrum-half Dave Lewis who set James

Simpson-Daniel up in the corner to bustle over.

Unfortunately Robinson was wide with

the kick as the league new boys held a two-point advantage.

Steenson then extended their advantage

further with a penalty after 17 minutes.

Gloucester thought they have pulled

level when Narraway dots down in the corner on 24 minutes but the

referee pulls play back for an earlier forward pass.

Robinson then has the opportunity to

cut the deficit with a penalty on 25 minutes but he drags his shot

right of the posts.

Gloucester are starting to build some

phases in midfield and the referee penalises the home team for not

releasing the player in the tackle giving Robinson another attempt.

From in front of the posts and 30

metres out the Welshman strikes the left hand posts and the ball is

cleared on 36 minutes.

Robinson's opposite number Steenson

then shows him how it is done when he continues his good kicking with

another penalty two minutes before half-time to make it 16-5.

The half is brought to a close with

Gloucester on the attack summed up by a knock on by Peter Buxton as

the Chiefs lead at the break 16-5.

The Chiefs begin the half badly with a

poor restart kick giving Gloucester a scrum on halfway.

Against the head Gloucester's pack put

on the power and are rewarded with another penalty just outside the

22 with Robinson pointing at the posts on 44 minutes.

Yet again the Welsh international is

off target and his poor run of kicking continues, costing Gloucester

another valuable three points.

That is now nine points Robinson could

have secured for the away team which would cut Exeter's lead to just

two points and keep them in contention.

An amazing break from out of his 22 by

Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu sees Gloucester break into the Exeter half.

He off loads to Robinson who throws a

long pass out left to Taylor who chips ahead but is beaten to the

touchdown on 49 minutes.

Gloucester are on the attack in

Exeter's 22 and Taylor scores for Gloucester on 54 minutes.

Play goes left to right and Gloucester

soak up the phases but the ball is eventually thrown long out right

to Taylor who shakes off two tackles and scores.

Robinson can not catch a break as he

hits the post again with the conversion to make it 16-10.

But Exeter respond well and are

rewarded with a penalty just outside the Gloucester 22 which Steenson

makes no mistake with to lead 19-10 after 57 minutes.

Gloucester go on the attack again

thanks to a great long pass by Robinson to set Lesley Vainikolo away

but once more the referee does not like the pass and decides it was

forward on 59 minutes.

Exeter wing Nic Sestaret thinks he is

in when he nearly intercepts another long Robinson pass but he knocks

on at the vital moment with just the 22 to beat.

Gloucester are under pressure now and

Fuimaono-Sapolu just manages to clear the ball when Taylor is forced

to take evasive action near his line.

Chiefs are still on the attack in the

Gloucester 22 and Steenson spots Jess out wide on the right and aims

a cross field kick towards him.

However, with the line beckoning, Jess

knocks on into touch on 63 minutes.

Gloucester knock on again on 64 minutes

when they are just starting to build another attack just outside the

Exeter 22.

The ball is spun out to Steenson 10

metres out who just knocks over a drop goal on 68 minutes to extend

the lead to 22-10.

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Luke Arscott; 14 Nic Sestaret, 13 Phil Dollman, 12 Bryan Rennie

(Jess, 55), 11 Mark Foster; 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Haydn Thomas

(Cowley, 74); 1 Brett Sturgess (Moon, 69), 2 Neil Clark (alcott, 53),

3 Hoani Tui (Budgen, 56); 4 Tom Hayes (capt), 5 James Hanks (Gannon,

68); 6 Tom Johnson, 7 James Scaysbrook, 8 James Phillips (Slade, 53).

Replacements: 16 Simon Alcott, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Chris Budgen, 19 Dave

Gannon, 20 Chad Slade, 21 Garrick Cowley, 22 Ryan Davis, 23 Matt

Jess.

Gloucester Rugby:

Olly Morgan (Tim Taylor, 24); James Simpson-Daniel, Mike Tindall

(capt) (Molenaar, 62), Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, Lesley Vainikolo;

Nicky Robinson, Dave Lewis (Pasqualin, 64); Nick Wood (Dickinson,

54), Scott Lawson (Azam, 69), Pierre Capdevielle; Dave Attwood, Alex

Brown (James, 69); Peter Buxton (Strokosch, 48), Akapusi Qera, Luke

Narraway. Replacements: Olivier Azam, Alasdair

Dickinson, Rupert Harden, Will James, Alasdair Strokosch, Jordi

Pasqualin, Tim Taylor, Tim Molenaar