Key Points
- The Exeter Chiefs completed their pre-season preparation by winning against the Cardiff Rugby 33-28 in Cardiff Arms Park.
- The Cardiff side made a quick start by scoring two tries from Taine Basham and Ben Thomas in just under ten minutes of play and Callum Sheedy kicked two conversions.
- The Chiefs answered to that by scoring three tries of their own from Greg Fisilau, Harvey Skinner and another try from a fantastic intercept of Stephen Varney to have a half time score line of 14-19.
- The Chiefs scored a try from Joe Bailey soon after resumption of play, while the Cardiff side responded with tries from Dan Thomas and Daf Hughes.
- The Exeter Chiefs scored a try through Immanuel Feyi-Waboso as a result of a turnover in the later stages of the match.
- Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter, was extremely satisfied with the performance of his team despite all the problems that they had encountered.
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) September 20, 2026 – Exeter Chiefs successfully concluded their pre-season schedule with a gritty 33-28 triumph against Cardiff Rugby at Cardiff Arms Park. Despite conceding two early tries within the opening ten minutes, the Devon-based PREM finalists engineered a robust comeback, demonstrating significant resilience under adverse weather conditions to secure the victory ahead of their upcoming campaign opener.
How Did Exeter Chiefs Overcome a Slow Start Against Cardiff Rugby?
As reported by Daniel Clark of Devon Live, Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter was left delighted with the way his side showed character and dug in on a difficult afternoon in Cardiff.
The match began with Cardiff dominating territory and possession. As outlined in match reports published by Cardiff Rugby, the hosts made a flying start at the Arms Park, claiming early tries through Taine Basham and Ben Thomas, both expertly converted by Callum Sheedy to put the Blue & Blacks firmly on the front foot.
Reflecting on the challenging opening phase, as noted by Daniel Clark of Devon Live, Rob Baxter stated that his team’s travel up to Wales had been slightly disrupted. Baxter explained:
“And then we came out onto the field and actually there’s a pretty strong wind blowing the length of the field and it was raining pretty heavily as well when it came kicked off and it’s wrong of us to have been put on the back foot like we did, but within the space of minutes we’re two tries down and you can…”
Despite the early setback, Exeter regrouped. Baxter added, as quoted by Daniel Clark of Devon Live:
“We just we had a good look at each other. We rolled our sleeves up and we pretty much controlled the rest of the first half into tough conditions.”
Which Players Scored for Exeter Chiefs During Their Pre-Season Finale?
The visitors clawed their way back into the encounter when number eight Greg Fisilau powered over from a driving lineout. Although Henry Slade missed the initial conversion, Exeter narrowed the gap further when Harvey Skinner dummied his way past the midfield defence following a period of sustained forward pressure. Slade added the extras to make it 14-12.
Exeter took the lead prior to the interval when Stephen Varney intercepted a pass in a crowded channel, running clear from the halfway line to dot down beneath the sticks. Slade converted to stretch the half-time score to 14-19 in favour of the visitors.
According to match documentation provided by Cardiff Rugby, Joe Bailey crashed over from close range shortly after the second-half restart, with Slade converting to make it 14-26.
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How Did Cardiff Rugby Respond in the Second Half?
Cardiff mounted a spirited fightback utilising their bench and powerful pack. Following an encouraging period of pressure, Cardiff kicked to the corner, allowing Dan Thomas to finish off a driving maul from the forwards. Sheedy converted to close the deficit to 21-26.
As both sides turned to their replacements and the game began to lose its structural shape, former Cardiff age-grade product Immanuel Feyi-Waboso seized upon a turnover ball to score for Exeter, converted by Zack Wimbush’s setup involvement. Cardiff refused to relent, and a late driving lineout saw late call-up Daf Hughes burrow over. Lloyd Lucas added the conversion to bring the hosts back within five points at 28-33.
Late in the fixture, Slade missed two penalty opportunities—one wide and one hitting the left upright—keeping the final score at 28-33 as Exeter successfully ran down the clock.
What Did the Coaches Say After the Final Whistle?
As documented by Cardiff Rugby, Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl expressed satisfaction with his side’s overall pre-season progress despite the narrow loss. Van Zyl stated:
“It was a good run out for both teams. It’s about game time and to give a few boys, especially the ones that started later, a bit more game time. It kicks off next week, so that was the aim. I think we’re in a decent place. The squad is fairly healthy, so it’s now just how we transfer everything we’ve been doing into the first game. We will be ready. Give it a good go.”
Van Zyl also praised the performance of Cardiff’s younger players—including Lloyd Lucas, Steffan Emanuel, Matty Young, and Osian Darwin-Lewis—who featured heavily in the second half against experienced opposition.
Rob Baxter echoed positive sentiments regarding his own squad depth and character. As reported by Daniel Clark of Devon Live, Baxter noted:
“We used the bench quite a lot and we had players playing out of position and although it broke our rhythm up a little bit, it created that scenario in the end where we had to battle for a win and we showed a great deal of character. So I think at both ends of the game, we had to kind of dig in and hold on and I think to come away and do that on the day as we’ve done it for me feels really satisfying.”
Baxter concluded, via Devon Live:
“Sometimes that’s just a really good test of character and you know I’m really impressed with the lads and we got a group of men there who are going to stand up for each other and going to be tough this season. And if I know that from today’s game, I’m happy with that alone.”
Background of the Particular Development
The fixture served as the concluding pre-season warm-up match for both Cardiff Rugby and Exeter Chiefs as they finalised preparations for their respective major league campaigns. Cardiff Rugby entered the fixture looking to fine-tune their combinations ahead of the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC), seeking to harness the power of their traditional forward pack and integrate new arrivals like Scott Sio. Meanwhile, Exeter Chiefs arrived following a victory over Bristol Bears in their PREM Rugby Cup campaign opener, utilizing the cross-border friendly to re-integrate international stars such as Greg Fisilau, Stephen Varney, and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso back into competitive matchday squads ahead of domestic league duties. Pre-season encounters between English and Welsh clubs historically provide critical testing grounds for squad depth, tactical experimentation, and physical conditioning under competitive match conditions.
This pre-season result indicates that both squads possess notable attacking resilience but require defensive tightening ahead of their official league rounds. For Cardiff Rugby, the ability of their younger contingent to hold their own against experienced PREM opposition demonstrates strong squad depth, which will be vital for enduring the physical demands of the United Rugby Championship season. However, unforced errors and lapses in concentration during the opening and middle phases point to areas that coaching staff must resolve quickly to avoid dropping tight fixtures. For Exeter Chiefs, showing the capacity to absorb pressure, travel difficulties, and adverse weather conditions highlights a robust mental fortitude. Integrating returning international talent effectively while maintaining winning momentum suggests that Exeter will present a physically imposing, highly competitive challenge in domestic and European competition as the season officially gets underway.
