Following Exeter Chiefs’ 31-21 win over Munster at Sandy Park, here are our five takeaways from the Challenge Cup Round of 16.
The top row
An early four-try haul and 31 unanswered points secured Exeter Chiefs’ path to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup as Ireland’s Munster chiefs are now out of all EPCR competitions.
Ross Vintcent, Henry Slade, Will Rigg and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso all crossed the paint as Exeter dominated the opening 40 minutes of the game and capitalized on Munster’s mistakes to take a 31-point half-time lead.
Jack Crowley inspired Munster’s fightback in the second half, scoring in the 49th and 75th minutes while Tadhg Beirne grabbed one of his own between a second-half yellow card shortly after his five points ended the Irish side’s hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.
Although Exeter were unable to add to their tally in the second half, the damage had been done with the wind at their backs, with either Benetton or Cardiff next on their hit list.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso show
A statement performance from the winger in his first appearance since recovering from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of six matches.
Feyi-Waboso played just 45 minutes but dominated every minute of his return, rushing for 132 yards, beating an astonishing 11 defenders, many of whom made spectacular runs down the touchline, before dashing down the field for a blinding score.
He kicked three more goals and was untroubled by anything the Munster attack threw at him. The 23-year-old didn’t miss a beat throughout his spell as Exeter built up a 31-0 lead heading into the game.
It was a box-office performance that will not only please Exeter manager Rob Baxter but England head coach Steve Borthwick too, ahead of the World Cup.
With Paul Brown-Bampoe enjoying another outstanding turn at right-back and Campbell Ridl continuing to shine, Exeter have plenty of possessions, but today was just a reminder of just how dangerous Feyi-Waboso is as he was rightly named Player of the Match.
He wasted no time in striking and it couldn’t have come at a better time as Exeter progress to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup and are in good shape to secure a place in the Gallagher PREM knock-out.
Lackluster Munster
Munster’s focus is now on the United Rugby Championship after strong performances in the Investec Championship and Challenge Cup this season. One win from their five pool games meant that a team with such a proud history in the Champions League failed to reach the knockout stages and did not make it past their only game in the Challenge Cup.
Clayton McMillan’s men were completely outplayed in the first half, and while they fought bravely in the second half, they lacked the precision to trouble Exeter’s solid enough defence, given how they controlled possession and space.
For large parts of this game, the Munster attack was unable to pass the line of opportunity, and when they tried to stretch the Exeter defence, they were taken out by Slade and Rigg’s attempts from intercepts.
Crowley deserves a lot of credit for pulling Munster back into the game but he rushed his penalty and the gamble didn’t go down, letting Exeter out for the last time.
McMillan’s woes were somewhat eased by a battling game and second half, but that won’t matter to fans as they see their charges come out of Europe and now face a tough race in the URC final.
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Is Exeter on course to become a powerhouse again?
Baxter’s rebuild at Exeter Chiefs is gaining momentum as the long-serving coach looks to return the club to the glory days once again. It’s a remarkable turnaround from last season, where Chiefs finished ninth in the PREM, winning just four of their 18 games.
The 55-year-old was considering quitting coaching last year, but thankfully for the loyalty of the Chiefs, he didn’t, and just this week he signed a contract extension.
“To make the club happy and extend my time here makes me proud. The most important thing for me is how happy and excited I am to work with the current players we have here at Chiefs as well as the players we have signed for next season, the young academy players coming our way, and the coaching staff,” said Baxter.
I really see a bright future for the team. I really feel that we will be a challenging team at the end of the PREM, and I hope that we will grow into a team that will fight it out in the future of European competition.
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Exeter have not challenged for the titles since finishing as runners-up in PREM Rugby back in 2021, but that could turn this campaign into a double-double on the cards.
Feyi-Waboso, Brown-Bampoe and Ridl are talented at the back but Harvey Skinner, Rigg and Slade are the key playmakers, while Baxter has built another strong, vicious pack led by the brilliant Dafydd Jenkins.
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There are four games left for Munster to save their season
With Exeter progressing to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup and it will be a two-sided battle as they continue their quest for a PREM Rugby semi-final place, Munster’s season is about to come to a rest.
Ranked seventh in the URC standings, with just one point above the eighth-placed Bulls, the Irish team just has to break their losing streak as soon as possible. They will have next week off before facing Benetton (away), before Ireland’s latest interpros against Ulster Thomond Park and Connacht in Galway.
Their final game of the regular season is against the Lions in Limerick, meaning their only game against Benetton is against a team already in contention for a place in the relegation zone.
Failure to make the last eight in the URC will have consequences, both for the coaches and the players.
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