Premiership: Exeter Chiefs 59-7 Worcester Warriors

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Jonny HillImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Jonny Hill scored a first-half hat-trick for Exeter

Gallagher Premiership

Exeter (38) 59

Tries: S Simmonds 3, Hill 3, Nowell, Hogg, Vermeulen Cons: J Simmonds 7

Worcester (0) 7

Try: Beck Con: Searle

Jonny Hill and Sam Simmonds scored hat-tricks as Exeter dominated below-strength Worcester with a nine-try win.

The hosts had the bonus point wrapped up inside 30 minutes as Simmonds twice went over along with Hill's first and an excellent try by Jack Nowell.

Hill completed his hat-trick late in the first half before Stuart Hogg crossed 30 seconds after the restart.

Jacques Vermeulen got the eighth try and Simmonds added his third before Ashley Beck scored a consolation.

Chiefs are now 14 points clear of second-placed Sale in the Premiership after Sharks leapfrogged Bristol with a 40-7 win on Saturday, while Worcester remain in 10th place.

Hill's hat-trick was the first in the Premiership by a second row since Simon Shaw scored three tries for Wasps against Saracens in March 2003.

Beck's score meant Exeter only recorded their joint-second largest Premiership win - just shy of the 55-point margin when they scored 10 tries to beat London Welsh 74-19 in March 2015.

Having selected what many considered a full-strength side with 11 internationals and an all-British and Irish Lions back three, Exeter showed their class throughout against a Worcester line-up in which most of their first-choice side was rested.

Both Simmonds and Hill's first two tries came from close range as the hosts' impressive pack forced their men over.

Nowell showed incredible power to drag three defenders over as he dotted down the bonus-point fourth try in the right corner after a lovely blind-side move off the back of a scrum by Simmonds.

Hill's hat-trick came when he was found by Nowell on the right wing after the Lions winger evaded two Worcester defenders and the lock sprinted in from 22 metres out.

Worcester's suffering continued straight after the restart as Slade's looping pass found Alex Cuthbert on the left wing who released Hogg to go over unopposed.

Luke Cowan-Dickie had a try chalked off three minutes later after an infringement by Hogg in the build-up before Vermeulen's powerful run down the left wing from 30 metres out saw Exeter get their eighth try.

Worcester's day was summed up when thought they had got on the board after 58 minutes - excellent interplay released Scott van Breda to go in under the posts, but a video review showed Caleb Montgomery had a foot in touch in the build-up.

Simmonds wrapped up his hat-trick from close range before Worcester got a deserved try with 10 minutes left as Beck crossed after their only sustained period of pressure on the Exeter try-line.

Exeter head coach Ali Hepher:

"The important thing is how hard we worked, and I'm really pleased as the stats show it was one of our most hard-working performances of the season.

"It was exactly how we needed to approach it as we challenged ourselves to do so.

"Credit to Worcester as they came at us from the start but the game got a bit clunky at times, which tends to happen when the result is no longer in doubt."

Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons:

"Exeter were absolutely outstanding - you can see how strong a club they are by taking a second team to Bristol and winning.

"However, we gave them too much leeway in the first half as for whatever reason, we stood off them and if you do that against a side as powerful as them, you are in for a very long afternoon.

"There were some positives out there, especially the last 20 minutes as we kept going to the end and were rewarded with a try."

Exeter: Hogg; Nowell, Slade, Whitten, Cuthbert; J Simmonds (capt), Maunder; Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Williams, Gray, Hill, Ewers, Vermeulen, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Innard, Keast, Street, Witty, Capstick, Hidalgo-Clyne, Skinner, Hendrickson

Worcester: Van Breda; David, Beck, Butler (capt), Hearle; Searle, Heaney; Black, Cutting, Palframan, Scott, Kitchener, Montgomery, Lewis, Van Velze.

Replacements: Miller, Holsey, J Morris, Clegg, Williams, Cox, Kitto, O Morris.

Referee: Adam Leal.

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