Henry Slade helps Exeter recover to end away drought with win at Newcastle | Premiership

Rob Baxter and his Exeter players were able to do something they had not done for a long time. For the first time in 13 months, the Chiefs could finally savour an away win in the Premiership, thus condemning their hosts to a seventh successive defeat this season.

You had to sympathise for Alex Codling and his Falcons, who showed impressive spirit and no little skill to overturn Exeter’s lead with two early tries from the hooker Jamie Blamire and their outside centre Matias Moroni. Exeter, though, were not to be denied and second-half scores from Henry Slade and Josh Iosefa-Scott, adding to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s outrageous first-minute opener, saw them home.

Having won all four Premiership home games this season, a first success on the road since hammering Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate last October lifted them to third in the table. Newcastle had organised a pre-match flag display in conjunction with Wor Flags, who routinely produce such spectacular displays across the city at St James’ Park. Fans in the West Stand were given black and white flags to wave and a huge banner inscribed with the words ‘Welcome to the true north’ was held aloft at pitchside before kick-off.

It was an admirable attempt to rouse Codling’s players, who must have been impressed by the display as Sam Fender’s Hypersonic Missiles blared out over the public address system. It might even have left them dazed as they seemed half asleep as Exeter scored inside the opening 35 seconds courtesy of Feyi-Waboso’s scintillating try.

Collecting possession inside the right channel, the imposing winger drove at the heart of the Newcastle defence, displaying formidable strength and speed to scythe through several players and leave Louie Johnson, a 20-year-old Cumbrian fly half-making his first Premiership start, clutching at thin air as he sauntered over the line.

It was a delightful effort but the response from Newcastle was emphatic as two quickfire tries put them 14-5 ahead by the eighth minute. The first came from an impressive break by the winger Iwan Stephens, which created the field position for his team to manoeuvre into Exeter’s 22-metre line. The blindside flanker Pedro Rubiolo broke and showed intelligence to find Blamire in support to gallop over the line.

It was a forcible reminder of the hooker’s qualities in front of the England coach, Steve Borthwick, and poured confidence into his team. Newcastle scored again two minutes later, with Stephens collecting a deft offload from Guy Pepper and embarking on a surge down the left flank before producing a delightful chip kick which Moroni gathered before diving over the line.

It was stirring stuff which capped a breathless opening and Kingston Park erupted once more but Exeter steadied themselves and began to force Newcastle back towards their 22-metre line. It required some obstinate defending from the Falcons to keep their visitors at bay before Slade cut the deficit to five points with a penalty shortly before the interval.

They forced errors, won turnovers and did what was needed to keep Exeter at bay until the 63rd minute. The winger Ben Hammersley broke from midfield all too easily and sent Slade racing clear with a simple pass to cut Newcastle’s lead to a point. Slade missed the conversion, but they plundered the winning score 11 minutes from time when Jacques Vermeulen was denied from close range before the Chiefs quickly recycled possession and Iosefa-Scott squeezed over the line.

Slade this time added the conversion and finally Exeter’s hoodoo was ended while for Newcastle the misery continues; they failed to register a point in the second half and have not won a Premiership match since March.