Match Centre: Gloucester Rugby 13-16 Exeter Chiefs

Gloucester Rugby 13-16 Exeter Chiefs, Kingsholm

Exeter Chiefs staged a second half comeback as they came from behind to beat Gloucester Rugby 16-13 in the 7th round of the Gallagher Premiership at Kingsholm on Friday.

This is third win for Exeter in seven games as they climbed to the fifth position in the table with 19 points while Gloucester are at sixth with 18 points.

Harvey Skinners started the proceedings with a penalty in the opening minute after Ruan Ackermann was penalised for not rolling away and five minutes later he helped Exeter double their tally with a second three-pointer making it 0-6.

Skinner had another chance to stretch the Exeter's lead but his third penalty went wide as the scoreline became 0-6 at the end of the opening 10 minutes.

As Gloucester were handed a reprieve, they kicked penalties to the corner unlike their opponents and eventually got their first breakthrough in the 14th minute as Jack Singleton touched down at the back of a maul for his second try of the season and Adam Hastings kicked the conversion making it 7-6.

With Hastings kicking two more successive penalties in the 24th and 27th minute, Gloucester completed the opening half with a 13-6 lead.

Exeter looked threatening in the second half and came close through Jack Nowell and Jack Maunder but were pushed into the corner. Nevertheless, Alec Hepburn dived over the line in the 51st minute but Skinner missed out on the conversion as they narrowed down the gap to two points.

Gloucester thought they extended their lead as Louis Rees-Zammit came close but Stuart Hogg provided the much-needed clearance for Exeter as the scoreline remained at 13-11 at the end of the third quarter.

While Skinner missed a penalty in the 61st minute, Will Witty dotted down in the 66th minute. Skinner missed out on the conversion but it did not cost them as Exeter went past with a three-pointer victory.

Team line up:

Gloucester: Woodward; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Twelvetrees, Carreras; Hastings, Meehan; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Balmain, Clarke, Davidson, Ackermann, Ludlow, Morgan.

Reserves: Socino, Elrington, Gotovtsev, Thomas, Clement, Chapman, Evans, Moyle.

Exeter: Hogg; Nowell, Hendrickson, Devoto, Cordero; H Skinner, Maunder; Hepburn, Yeandle, Williams, Witty, Lonsdale, S Skinner, Armand, Capstick.

Reserves: Burrows, Moon, Iosefa-Scott, Tshiunza, Tuima, Hidaglo-Clyne, J Simmonds, Whitten.