Cheika begins Leicester reign with late win at Exeter

The match was former Australia and Argentina coach Michael Cheika's first game in the English Premiership

Gallagher Premiership

Exeter (0) 14

Tries: Fisilau, Cairns Cons: Hodge 2

Leicester (3) 17

Tries: Liebenberg, Reffell Cons: Shillcock, Volavola Drop-goal: Shillcock

Michael Cheika's time in charge at Leicester Tigers began with a dramatic last-second win as his side beat Exeter 17-14 in their Premiership opener.

Jamie Shillcock's drop-goal with the final play of the first half was the only score of an opening period that Exeter edged.

Greg Fisilau's 48th-minute try got Exeter going before Tom Cairns sneaked over for their second 10 minutes later.

Hanro Liebenberg's try cut the deficit six minutes later before Tigers centre Solomone Kata was sent off for a head-on-head collision with Jack Yeandle.

But Tommy Reffell forced his way over in the final seconds of the game after Exeter had seen Will Haydon-Wood sin-binned for a high challenge.

Greg Fisilau scored four Premiership tries last season for Exeter

Former Australia and Argentina head coach Cheika saw his side edge an attritional first half on the scoreboard even if Exeter had the better of the play.

The home side also lost scrum-half Niall Armstrong to an ankle injury and Ben Hammersley to a failed head injury assessment before Josh Hodge struck the post with a 21st-minute penalty.

Ross Vintcent came close to putting Chiefs ahead after breaking through but was caught just short of the Leicester line.

Tigers had Izaia Perese yellow-carded 12 minutes before the break for a cynical block on Armstrong’s replacement Cairns as he took a quick tap penalty.

From the resulting penalty Exeter drove to the line but Scott Sio was held up short as Leicester weathered their period with 14 men and saw Shillcock break the deadlock with a drop-goal with the final kick of the half.

Exeter finally got on the scoreboard eight minutes after the break as good hands released Immanuel Feyi-Waboso down the right and he fed Fisilau for the opening try.

Cairns crossed for his first Premiership try 10 minutes later as he sneaked in from close range following a tap penalty from five metres out.

Tigers hit back soon after as Liebenberg was mauled over following a close-range lineout, but Cheika, who replaced fellow countryman Dan McKellar as Tigers boss, tried to mastermind a comeback.

Any hopes of taking more than a losing bonus point back from Devon seemed to have ended when Kata was sent off for a dangerous clash with former team-mate Yeandle nine minutes from the end.

But, with the clock running out, Haydon-Wood's head clashed with Freddie Steward's, Tigers kicked the resulting penalty to the corner and phase after phase of pressure from the lineout eventually told as Reffell forced his way in.

'It feels good' - reaction

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport:

"It's hugely disappointing to lose the game in the way we did.

"I've said to the players I'd hoped we were further down the line than to look so kind of callow and inexperienced in the last 20 minutes as we did today.

"We did some very odd things, especially when on the whole, when we did stick to things for little periods of time, we were getting quite a lot of success.

"It just seemed like it was a scenario where we were inviting Leicester to get back into the game the way they did, and in the end that's exactly what we did - we invited them back into the game to score their two tries.

"I've got to hold my hand up and say 'fair play' to Leicester, they stuck in there.

"That in itself is a lot of credit to them, but it's also pretty tough to face for us, because without doubt that's a game there that'll go down as one we should have won."

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika told BBC Sport:

"It feels good, and even if we didn't get the last bit over, I felt like we really worked hard under a fair bit of difficulty.

"We talked about playing the long game earlier in the week, don't be too anxious to get this going early on because we're still young in what we're doing.

"It takes time, you need to be in the pressure cooker a little bit, let's just get into that long game where we're prepared to defend for long periods of time because we know they'll hold on to the ball, and when we do have an opportunity to attack make the most of it.

"I felt like the way they played the long game they were always going to be in it to the end."

Exeter: Hodge; Feyi-Waboso, Hammersley, Hawkins, Woodburn; Skinner, Armstrong; Sio (capt), Frost, Painter, Tuima, Capstick, Roots, Vintcent, Fisilau.

Replacements: Yeandle, Goodrick-Clarke, Iosefa-Scott, Dunne, Tshiunza, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Brown-Bampoe.

Yellow card: Haydon-Wood (79)

Leicester: Steward; Bassett, Perese, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Shillcock, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Clare, Heyes, Well, Chessum (capt), Liebenberg, Cracknell, Hatherell.

Replacements: Theobald-Thomas, Cronin, Cole, Joussain, Reffell, Youngs, Volavola, Kelly.

Yellow card: Perese (28)

Red card: Kata (71)

Referee: Tom Foley