Slade sinks Falcons to end Exeter drought

Rob Baxter and his Exeter players were able to do something they had not done for a long time. For the first time since 7 October 2022, they could savour a Premiership away win, thus condemning their hosts to a seventh defeat this season and a 10th in succession dating back to March.

- Ross Heppenstall

You had to sympathise for Alex Codling and his Falcons, who showed spirit and skill to overturn Exeter's early lead with two quickfire tries from the hooker Jamie Blamire and the outside-centre Matías Moroni.

Exeter, though, were not to be denied and second-half scores from Henry Slade and Josh Iosefa-Scott, adding to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's delightful opener, saw them home.

Having won all four Premiership home games this season, a first success on the road since beating Bristol 50-14 at Ashton Gate 414 days earlier - when Liz Truss was still prime minister-lifted them to third in the table.

Baxter is patiently writing a new chapter with a remodelled team and the director of rugby said: "The big thing we targeted was having control of the middle third of the field.

"We actually did that very well and Newcastle didn't get multiple entries into our 22. There was a minute of madness where they got a couple of offloads away and bang, that was