Tigers crush Chiefs to win first Prem Rugby Cup

Prem Cup final

Leicester (35) 66

Tries: Wand 2, Van der Flier 2, Searle 2, Penalty, Hamer-Webb, Haffar, O'Connor Cons: Searle 6, O'Connor

Exeter (7) 14

Tries: Vintcent, Haydon-Wood Cons: Hodge 2

Leicester Tigers claimed their first silverware since 2022, dominating Exeter Chiefs 66-14 at a wet Mattioli Woods Welford Road to win the Prem Rugby Cup for the first time.

The Tigers were rampant throughout, outscoring the visitors by five tries to one in the first half, establishing a 35-point lead before the Chiefs got on the board.

Will Wand and the imperious Billy Searle scored two tries apiece, to add to Archie van der Flier's effort, before Ross Vintcent replied for the visitors on the verge of half-time.

After the break Will Haydon-Wood restored some measure of respectability for the Chiefs, but further scores from Van der Flier, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Tareq Haffar, James O'Connor and a penalty try capped a record-breaking afternoon for the home side.

The Tigers, having dominated English domestic rugby in the late 2000s and early 2010s, were looking for their first silverware in four years.

Their last success in cup competition came back during the 2016-17 season in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, two years before that competition was replaced with the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Following a cagey opening, it was the home team who struck first.

After Exeter were penalised for holding on at the ruck, the home side kicked for the corner. From the ensuing line-out, the Tigers drove up to the Chiefs' line before the ball was recycled to Wand who pirouetted over to score.

That lead was doubled soon afterwards with Ollie Hassell-Collins powering through a hole close to the ruck, before feeding Van der Flier to canter over untouched.

The Tigers were rampant and were gifted a third to make it 21-0 soon after through Searle, who intercepted Haydon-Wood's pass before outrunning Paul Brown-Bampoe to the line.

As the heavens opened, the Tigers then added a fourth after Joaquin Moro's break from deep freed Hassell-Collins down the wing.

With the winger eventually tackled by the desperate cover defence, Tom Whiteley's pin point cross-field kick fell perfectly for Wand to dive over for his second.

Whiteley then repeated the trick for Leicester's fifth to open a 35-0 lead before the break - kicking ahead to the on-running Searle - before the Chiefs replied through Vintcent's close-range effort.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors at the start of the second half, with Leicester scoring a sixth in controversial circumstances.

Referee Hamish Smales adjudged the ball was over the Chiefs' line at a ruck, allowing Van der Flier to dot down, much to the bemusement of the away side.

With the Tigers once again intriguing in the Chiefs 22, Exeter's Martin Moloney paid the price for illegally sacking a rolling maul resulting in a penalty try and a yellow card for the flanker to stretch the lead further.

Haydon-Wood then had a dramatic couple of minutes, scoring a try for Exeter at one end before moments later gifting one to Leicester, - his errant kick on his own try-line finding only Hamer-Webb, who sidestepped his way over for the Tigers' eighth try.

The Tigers still were not done and following an Exeter knock-on at the ruck, Osian Thomas burst onto the ball before feeding Haffar.

Replacement fly-half James O'Connor's effort as time elapsed completed the drubbing, with the match easily breaking last year's record for the highest score in a Prem Rugby Cup final.

The Chiefs' will return down the M5 ruing yet another heavy cup final defeat having lost 48-14 to Bath in that final.

Leicester Tigers' head coach Geoff Parling told BBC Radio Leicester:

"We started really well, got three early tries before the heavens opened which helped us. We stuck at it in the second half, were professional about how we went about our business. A solid 80 minutes.

"I asked the guys on Monday what would it look like to really stay on top of a team and I thought in general that is what we did today."

[On the importance of winning the competition] "We've used 20 players under the age of 23, blooded a lot of youngsters.

"Everyone has mucked in for each other and shared responsibility and that's why we had the opportunity to play like that today."

Exeter Chiefs' director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:

"Sport gives you a slap in the face some times, especially when you get a few things wrong.

"I am disappointed, we just got caught watching the game happen rather than taking part in it at the start. We got on a rollercoaster that we couldn't get off.

"There were a few guys who stood up. Campbell Ridl got us on the front foot but there are not too many other guys holding their heads up right now saying they had good games, and that's a challenge.

"Credit to Leicester, they turned up, brought intensity to the game and we didn't."

Leicester: Bailey; Hamer-Webb, Wand, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; Searle, Whiteley; van der Flier, Clare, Hurd; Wells, Liebenberg, Palmer, Reffell (c), Moro.

Replacements: Theobald-Thomas, Haffar, Loman, Thomas, Manz, Bemand, O'Connor, Perese.

Yellow card: Wand (55).

Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Batson, Rigg, Ridl; Haydon-Wood, Cairns; Burger, Dweba, Mona; Pearson (c), Tuima, Moloney, Worley Brady, Vintcent.

Replacements: Heaven, Goodrick-Clarke, Gulley, Bailey, Tshiunza, Chapman, Coen, John.

Yellow card: Moloney (47).

Referee: Hamish Smales.