Report | The Tigers fight to the end but fall short of the Chiefs

Leicester Tigers can be proud of an iconic fighting performance they put in during their debut Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign as they scored four tries but fell to hosts Exeter Chiefs.

On a scorching day on the south coast, captain Natasha Jones kicks off the final, the last home game for a Leicester Tigers team in 2023/24.

Early goals from Charlotte Fray and Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele set the tone as Leicester enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening ten minutes.

Heading down the field, the home side eventually break away, a ruck infringement allowing Tess Feury to slot an early penalty.

The Tigers get the ball back soon after the Chiefs kick fails to go 10 meters out and the ensuing scrum collapses and through a Brody carry, look to play early, a shot at the end of ten minutes of possession sustained early.

From here, the momentum is completely reversed and the hosts now dominate for the next ten minutes.

Two tries come in quick succession, the first sees an overload down the Tigers right sees wing Connie Clark go over, her last second offload to Hope Rogers allowing the prop to land; Minutes later the ball comes out of the scrum and scrum-half Brooke Bradley reacts quickest, grabbing it on the run and sprinting home with the Tigers still realigning.

From here, the game really opens up and both sides are in the thick of it.

The Tigers have chances on both flanks, two line-ups that both go wrong after building at the line.

It looks like their hard work will be for naught as the home side force their way to the Tigers ten yard line, but then Claire Gallagher appears.

Having already scored a crazy interception against Loughborough Lightning, the Canada international repeats the trick here, plucking the ball out of the air and sprinting to the Chiefs line for the full length of the field score.

The home side hit back with two quick tries inside five minutes, both through bursts down the favored left which saw Connie Clarke grab a quick break.

Between these two trials lies a strong contender for the strangest trial of the season on the final day. Sarah Nicholas scored her first Tigers try after buzzing hands unleashed Feury on the right wing; the US international has a lot to do but successive strikes put the Chiefs under pressure and Nicholas’ hard work is paying off.

She tracks down the second, tackles the receiver, and when the ball spills, the center reacts fastest to pounce on her and score.

At half-time the hosts bowed out a well-fought first half with a slick try down the right for wing Katie Buchanan, who would later be crowned the team’s Supporters’ Player of the Year.

Half time score: Exeter Chiefs 31 – 15 Leicester Tigers

As the hosts kick off, a tackle and crash from Katie Childs sets the tone early as the Tigers get physical.

Fray, Brody and Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele all drive over the line as the visitors send over 10 waves of big carries and drag their side into the Chiefs half. However, eventually the ball is lost and play resumes, with the midfield a battleground as both sides exchange possession and take all the attack.

With Julia Omokhuale and Leah Bartlett in the game, the Tigers kick a penalty just ten meters from the line and are set straight for a rolling maul. The first attempt only went down a meter illegally, so here we go again. The second time he asks, the ball comes up short to Morgan Richardson and he starts the quick drive.

However, the hosts conjure up a steal on their own line, block Linde van der Velden by plucking the ball and sprinting down the line.

The Tigers know it was a great chance and having won the ball back they are looking to not let it slip through their fingers again.

Offloading play is at its best as the Tigers keep the ball moving, half-backs here and there advancing 40 meters laterally, sensitive rugby allowing for incremental yards.

Finally, five meters out, a final offload from Julia Omokhuale after a broken run sees Tahlia Brody run clear to score.

Try as they might, a bonus try point in their sights, Leicester just can’t get over the line to score the crucial fourth try. For fifteen minutes they throw the kitchen sink at the hosts, spreading the ball wide, keeping it tight, shots over the top, anything to try to breach this defensive line that continues to hold steady.

Then a bolt out of the blue.

With less than two minutes on the clock, Charlotte Fray receives the ball on the left flank. The blocker picks up the pace but accelerates even further, making successive tackle attempts and doesn’t slow down as, from almost halfway, she dives over the line to score in the corner.

Today’s game had two main goals for the team: to secure that eighth place spot and finish the season with their heads held high. Results elsewhere meant an eighth-place finish was out of the question after Sale Sharks beat Bristol Bears at home.

However, Leicester Tigers can be proud of the fight they put up today. The drive to keep coming back against a Chiefs side firing on all cylinders at home in the baking heat and to get a fourth try in the dying embers of the game sums up what this team is all about.

Leicester Tigers will return in 2024/25.

Full time score: Exeter Chiefs 59 – 27 Leicester Tigers