Stade de France: (0) 27
try: Melikize, Motasi, penalty, Laloy shortcoming: barre Pen: barre
Exeter: (17) 25
try: Brown-Bampoe, Sio 2 shortcoming: Slade 2 Pen: Slade Descending target: Slade
An undisciplined Exeter side lost a 22-point lead at the Stade de France in the European Challenge Cup.
Paul Brown-Bamp’s 15th-minute strike and Scott Theo’s goal in first-half stoppage time gave Exeter a 17-0 lead at the break.
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Theo added another goal shortly after the restart to put Exeter 22-0 ahead, before George Melikidze responded for Stade.
Thibo Motahi’s strike reduced the gap further and Exeter missed penalty after penalty.
Greg Fischlaw was sent off for a knockdown in the 63rd minute and substitute Lewis Pearson was awarded a penalty for a similar attack a minute later.
With two players behind, Charles Laloi’s strike soon gave the home side the lead, but Henry Slade’s shot from 35 meters with eight minutes left gave Exeter a point ahead short-handed.
But four minutes later, Exeter made another mistake and Leo Barre’s penalty sealed England’s fate.
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The defeat means Exeter remain second in Group Three but are unable to win the group title as Stade are six points ahead of Chiefs with a game remaining.
Exeter needed tackles from Ethan Roots and Slade in the first 12 minutes before taking the lead three minutes later when Brown-Bampoe lofted a long pass from Dafydd Jenkins over the left corner.
This gave Chiefs confidence and they began to threaten more, although both sides struggled to get into the opposition’s red zone, with Slade converting a penalty six minutes before the break.
Neither team had any meaningful time in the opposition’s red zone until first-half stoppage time – Exeter taking full advantage of the opportunity, with Theo knocked over from close range under repeated pressure from the Stade line.
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Theo had a second close-range effort five minutes after the restart and Melikize responded for the home side six minutes later from a similar range after first pressing the Exeter defence.
Under increasing pressure from the home side, Exeter’s discipline began to wane and after a fourth consecutive penalty, Motahi sniped in a shot from one meter out with 20 minutes left after a lineout five meters out.
Fischlaw knocked down a maul from another penalty and Pearson did the same seconds later, with Exeter reduced to 13 men and awarded a penalty against them.
They fell behind within three minutes when Barre passed to Joe Jonas, who passed LaLoi into the right corner for Stadler’s extra point.
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Slade put Exeter back in front with his penalty, but another penalty sealed their fate after Will Haydn-Wood was penalized for holding on when Emmanuel Faye Waboso decided to pass rather than kick the ball, with Barre kicking the eventual winner.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:
“Things unfolded in a weird way. We had a scramble in the opponent’s territory, we called a forward pick and then walked right out of the scramble, but all eight of our forwards were involved in the scramble, and it’s just one of those weird things when you say, ‘Why are we doing this,’ and then we get turned upside down on the first scrimmage.
“We got punished for it, got a penalty in the next game, a yellow card and suddenly the whole momentum of the game changed.
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“It was for us ‘What led to the first decision? What led to the next two decisions?’. Then all of a sudden we have 13 players on the field and they’re right back at us.
“But what happens? We showed our character a chance to regain the lead and it looked like we were regaining control but then we started doing some weird things in our own half again and then we got punished.
“There are decisions that I just can’t understand.”
Stade de France: Jonas; Laroy, Marchant, Willy, Etienne; Foursans-Bourdette, Motasi; Iscalo, Nicotera, Alo-Emile, Gabriagos (captain), Turagakok, Celzo, Chirigoyen, Mapou
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Alternatives: García Albo, Alo-Emile, Melikidze, Pesenti, Buryat, Delbuys, Abadi, Barre
Exeter: Woodburn; Fay Waboso, Slade, Rigg, Brown-Bambo; Haydn Wood, Chapman; Sio, Dweba, Tchumbadze, Jenkins (captain), Zambonin, Hooper, Roots, Fisilau.
Alternatives: Yedder, Goodrick-Clark, Lutz, Tuima, Pearson, James, Keynes, Cohen.
Yellow card: Fiscilao(64), Pearson(65)
referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
