Gloucester opened the new Prem season by beating Exeter Chiefs 45-24 at Sandy Park, with new captain Dewi Lake scoring twice in a seven-try away performance that ended the Cherry and Whites’ wait for a league win in Devon since 2015.
Lake’s first match as Gloucester skipper brought a try before half-time to secure the visitors’ attacking bonus point, followed by another from a driving maul early in the second half. Ben Loader also crossed twice, while Seb Atkinson, Will Joseph and debutant Junior Denny completed Gloucester’s scoring.
The result carried particular weight given Gloucester had won only one away league match during their eighth-place finish last season. Exeter, meanwhile, had reached the previous season’s Prem final before losing to Northampton Saints.
It remains only the opening round, and Exeter’s preparation had been affected by illness, but Gloucester’s control at a venue where they had repeatedly struggled offered an encouraging first competitive measure of a squad reshaped over the summer.
Lake sets the tone on captaincy debut
Gloucester made their early intent count through their kicking game. Ben Redshaw’s kick created Loader’s opening try, before Caolan Englefield’s chip allowed Atkinson to regain the lead after Exeter prop Josh Iosefa-Scott had scored from close range.
Loader’s second try widened the advantage, but Exeter remained in touch when Ethan Roots crossed. Gloucester nevertheless entered the interval 26-12 ahead after Lake chose the corner rather than a shot at goal and finished from the ensuing maul.
According to the BBC, Lake was again at the back of a dominant Gloucester driving maul for his second score after the break. The Guardian reported that the Wales hooker had also made a significant contribution at the set piece, particularly in the line-out and maul.
Lake’s influence was part of a broader first outing for Gloucester’s summer arrivals. Jac Morgan started in the back row, while Jean Kleyn was also among the new faces highlighted by Sky Sports. Their presence did not by itself explain the outcome, but Gloucester showed a greater degree of authority in the tight exchanges than their away record last term had suggested.
Gloucester withstand Exeter’s late response
Joseph’s individual try from inside his own half put Gloucester firmly in command around the hour mark. Exeter did respond through former Gloucester scrum-half Stephen Varney, and replacement hooker Louie Gulley scored on his Prem debut after Freddie Thomas had been sent to the sin-bin.
Those scores earned Exeter a bonus point, but Denny’s try with the final play restored the scale of Gloucester’s advantage. The visitors had held out during a demanding final phase with 14 players, an aspect of the display Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said reflected the behaviours and standards the group had targeted during pre-season.
Skivington said Gloucester’s defensive work in the second half, including a long sequence while down a player, demonstrated what the squad were prepared to give. That resilience mattered alongside the more eye-catching attacking return: Gloucester had scored four tries by half-time and maintained enough discipline and defensive resolve to prevent Exeter turning their late pressure into a closer finish.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter assessed his side’s performance as poor, saying they had lacked ambition into the wind, kicked badly and fallen short of Gloucester’s composure. Sky Sports reported that illness compounded existing Exeter absences, while the Guardian said illness did not fully account for Gloucester’s overall superiority.
For Gloucester, the result is not a definitive verdict on a campaign at its first fixture. It does, however, provide firmer grounds for optimism than a routine opening win would have done. They won convincingly at the previous season’s runners-up, received immediate returns from their new captain, and combined clinical finishing with a set piece and defence that stood up when Exeter finally found momentum.