Toulouse beat Exeter 43-40 despite early red card as Slade misses late penalty

Toulouse beat Exeter Chiefs 43-40 in a Champions Cup pool match on Sunday despite playing most of the contest without prop Rodrigue Neti, who was sent off in the 16th minute. According to BBC Sport's match report, Henry Slade had a final opportunity to level the scores but sent a penalty wide from about 40 metres with time expired.

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Exeter winger Zack Wimbush scored three tries after coming into the starting side for the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. His first arrived in the second minute, before Toulouse responded through Ange Capuozzo and a penalty try. The penalty try also brought a yellow card for Exeter full-back Sam Harris, and the hosts were leading 12-7 when Neti was dismissed for shoulder-to-head contact with Ross Vintcent.

Wimbush scored again after the red card, but Toulouse continued to find openings despite their numerical disadvantage. Tries from Joshua Brennan and Teddy Thomas put the French side 10 points ahead. Thomas was then sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, leaving Toulouse two players short and giving Exeter another opportunity to turn the match around before the interval.

The visitors took that chance through Jack Yeandle and Stephen Varney. Yeandle scored from close range, while Varney crossed beneath the posts, helping Exeter reach half-time with a 26-24 lead. The opening period produced eight tries, four for each team, alongside Neti's red card and the two yellow cards as neither side established a lasting advantage.

Exeter extended their lead to nine points after the restart when Will Butt scored following a charge-down of Antoine Dupont's clearing kick. Toulouse fought back again, with two tries from Matias Remue and another from Romain Ntamack helping them establish a three-point advantage despite Wimbush completing his hat-trick. Exeter also lost Ben Hammersley to the sin-bin during the second half, and Toulouse took the lead while he was off the field.

Slade had converted five of Exeter's six tries before the late penalty offered a chance to salvage a draw. His miss left the 2020 champions narrowly beaten by the competition's six-time winners. Toulouse's seven tries, including the penalty try, and three Ntamack conversions proved enough to withstand Exeter's challenge in a match that remained undecided until the final kick.