Premiership: Exeter 43-13 Wasps - Chiefs come from behind for bonus-point win at Sandy Park

Exeter centre Ollie Devoto ran in the first of the Chiefs' seven tries against Wasps

Reigning Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs scored seven tries for a bonus-point win as they rallied from last weekend's European exit to beat Wasps.

Wasps led 13-10 at the break, thanks to Josh Bassett's try, converted by Jacob Umaga, who also kicked two penalties.

But the Chiefs ran in five second-half tries to add to the first-half scores by Ollie Devoto and Jonny Hill.

Scotland's Stuart Hogg went in twice, followed over by Facundo Cordero, Wales prop Tomas Francis and Joe Simmonds.

Stand-off Simmonds also kicked four of his seven conversion attempts for an individual 13-point haul in an Exeter victory that ensures they stay second in the table.

Wasps were looking for a first Premiership double over Exeter, having beaten a significantly weakened Chiefs side 34-5 at the Ricoh Arena back on 2 January.

But the Coventry side have only ever won once before at Sandy Park, 26-19 in April 2019 and, once Exeter edged in front early in the second half, there was no way back for the visitors who simply made too many errors.

Chiefs' win also included a return from the bench for England wing Jack Nowell, who played the final 20 minutes in his first appearance in six months following ligament surgery and then a hamstring problem.

After Devoto's early try, Umaga got Wasps on the board with a penalty before hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie set up the Chiefs' second try for Hill to extend their lead.

Wasps responded with a second Umaga penalty and then a converted try following full-back Hogg's error.

Exeter's Scotland star had plenty of time to launch a clearing kick into touch from inside his own 22, but Bassett charged it down and then gathered for a try.

But Exeter moved up a gear after the break and went back in front when Devoto created the space for Hogg to atone for his earlier mistake.

Cordero then intercepted Wasps centre Malakai Fekitoa's pass to score before Francis crossed for his first Exeter try, followed by two more late scores for Simmonds and Hogg.

Exeter now face leaders Bristol on Friday night, while Wasps return to action next Sunday at home to Bath.

Exeter head coach Ali Hepher:

"To mentally come back within a week is a tough ask. There has been a lot of debriefing and analysing, and we have probably gone through that Leinster game as much as any game in the past,

"But we needed to draw a line under it and shift on. That was the challenge. We needed to be at a certain level, mentally, because last year they [Wasps] were in the Premiership final. They are a tough side.

"Jack Nowell's return was a bit of a bonus. We were aiming for next week [against Bristol], but he has been training really well and he has been itching to get out there for months now."

Wasps boss Lee Blackett:

"Exeter are a team with some very dangerous individuals, but we didn't help ourselves. I am really disappointed with our errors in that last 30 minutes.

"We rolled over far too easily. We are fit enough to play 80 minutes, and that scoreline shouldn't have been that way.

"There are positives in terms of set-piece and how much we created, But we don't want to be a team that plays in fits and starts - we want to be a team that plays for 80 minutes."

Exeter: Hogg; Cordero, Slade, Devoto, O'Flaherty; J Simmonds (capt), Maunder; Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie, Williams, Skinner, Hill, Ewers, Vermeulen, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Yeandle, Moon, Francis, Gray, Lonsdale, Townsend, Skinner, Nowell.

Wasps: Miller; Odogwu, Fekitoa, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Umaga, Robson; West, Taylor, Brookes, Launchbury (capt), Rowlands, Morris, Young, Shields.

Replacements: Oghre, Harris, Toomaga-Allen, Douglas, Vailanu, Vellacott, Sopoaga, Kibirige.

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU).

• Rugby Weekly Union podcast - listen and subscribe here