Greg Fisilau sets the tone as Exeter show strength with dismissal of Leicester

There is still a long way to go but Exeter would have settled for their current position back in the summer. Second place in the Prem table heading into 2026 with momentum building nicely is a very different story from last season’s grim struggle and, in front of a 15,000 capacity crowd, here was another example of exactly why they are a developing force.

While this was not quite as compelling as their pre-Christmas raid on Saracens, the Chiefs could conceivably have registered another half-dozen tries in the absence of Len Ikitau, their injured Wallaby centre. Another barnstorming display from No 8 Greg Fisilau set the standard and the whole side showed enough physicality and defensive hunger to leave the Tigers to survive on seasonal scraps.

Chiefs, bottom of the heap 12 months ago, might even have been on top entering the new year for the first time in five years had they not been denied a try bonus point at the death. Campbell Ridl and Will Goodrick-Clarke both dropped balls over the line but even without them their side now sit only a point behind leaders Northampton, with next week’s visit to Bath looming as a significant game for both sides.

Northampton’s fabulous weekend performance at the Rec will already have provided food for thought for those in contention. Bath still have a hefty international contingent and it could be that sides like Exeter will be fresher than others over the season’s closing months. Rob Baxter is no one’s fool and already looks to be ahead of schedule in terms of reconstructing another squad capable of winning major titles.

The latest template is not entirely unfamiliar: the marauding Fisilau, scorer of his side’s opening try after just seven minutes, could be a spiritual descendent of Sam Simmonds or Thomas Waldrom, while the box-office, tackle-busting energy of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has echoes of prime Jack Nowell.

Perhaps most tellingly of all, though, the physical crunch is back. In place of the old family firm led by Dave Ewers et al there is now a new-look heavy mob fronted by Ethan Roots and that kind of hard-nosed mindset tends to be infectious. One seriously big tackle from Feyi-Waboso on his opposite winger, Ollie Hassell-Collins, certainly dislodged a lot of hyphens.

Baxter also remains good at spotting raw talent, planing away the rough edges and unleashing it without great fanfare. The latest off the production line is the 20-year-old Ridl, born in Tooting but reared in South Africa, who has come through the ranks at Exeter University and represented England at U20 level.

Exeter’s promising Campbell Ridl flies over the line against Leicester. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Chiefs already have some eye-catching wingers but any of them would have been proud of the spectacular solo try that Ridl contributed to extend Exeter’s lead to 14-0 after 25 minutes. Turnover ball offered the rangy Ridl some broken-field space and a chip over the top and impressive acceleration turned a half-chance into a 50-metre cracker.

A properly one-sided contest looked possible following another sharp chip-and-chase effort by Harvey Skinner, only for it to be ruled out for an off-the-ball push in the buildup. For the first time Exeter sat back momentarily and Leicester took advantage, a midfield linebreak resulting in Cameron Henderson bursting clear to score.

With Henry Slade also denied inches from the line by a last-gasp Jack van Poortvliet intervention, the half-time score of 14-7 did not remotely reflect the balance of play. Leicester under Geoff Parling, once an Exeter player, can also be a hard side to shake off and the first-half withdrawal of scrum-half Tom Whiteley, who had been ill overnight, and the hamstrung Solomone Kata also seemed to stiffen their resolve.

Exeter’s bench, though, also gave them renewed impetus, along with a penalty from Slade. Another Ridl surge set up Skinner for a scything break that, again, was halted fractionally short of the whitewash, with Billy Searle subsequently earning a yellow card. Leicester did their best to cling on in his absence but a 71st-minute breakaway by Stephen Varney, teed up by Fisilau, effectively put the game to bed.

Parling, in his first season as the Tigers’ head coach, was not happy. “For the first time this season we lacked a bit of edge in the first 30 minutes. That wasn’t our DNA today. We’re not good enough yet to have those off days.” His Exeter counterpart, Dave Walder, would also have preferred Chiefs to collect an extra point – “Deep down we’re a little bit disappointed with our accuracy” – but if they retain this level of physical appetite there will be plenty more good days to come.