Exeter 17-22 Leicester: Chris Ashton becomes joint highest try-scorer in Premiership history as Tigers hold on to secure play-off place despite late rally from Chiefs
- Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers earned victory away at Exeter Chiefs
- Chris Ashton scored two tries as the Tigers raced into a commanding 19-0 lead
- The veteran is now joint top of the Gallagher Premiership’s all-time try-scorer list
- Exeter fought back in the final half an hour but it was too big a gap to close
- Leicester’s win assures them of a play-off place at the end of the campaign
This was hugely impressive from Leicester Tigers as they sealed their play-off place and Chris Ashton moved joint top of the Gallagher Premiership’s all-time try-scorer list with two crucial tries.
Steve Borthwick rarely cut a happy figure in the coaching box, but deep down the Tigers boss must surely have been delighted at what he saw.
Not many teams make Exeter look ordinary at Sandy Park. That is exactly what Leicester did in the first half as they had 71 per cent of the territory.
Leicester Tigers’ Chris Ashton moved joint top of the Premiership’s all-time try-scorer list
Ashton’s 91st and 92nd Premiership tries meant he moved past Mark Cueto and level with Tom Varndell at the top of the tree.
That is a fine achievement, but also must not detract from the strength of Leicester’s collective. They stretched their lead at the top, finalised their top-four place even though we are still only in March, and also put a huge dent in Exeter’s play-off push.
Leicester even had to cope with losing George Ford to an ankle injury, but they did far more than just survive without him. Borthwick is doing a fine job, one which could yet catapult him back to England as Eddie Jones’ successor post the…
Source : dailymail
