Lake scores twice as Gloucester open with seven-try win at Exeter
Dewi Lake scored two tries as Gloucester began the league season with a 45–24 win at Exeter. The Wales hooker’s scores came either side of half-time, helping turn a seven-point advantage into a 19-point lead at Sandy Park.
The key figures
- Exeter · Gloucester
- 24 · 45
- Tries
- 4 · 7
- Lake tries
- 2
- Half-time
- 12 · 26
Two captain’s tries stretch the lead
Gloucester were 19–12 ahead as the first half ran into added time. Lake broke from a maul to score in the corner, with Charlie Atkinson’s conversion making it 26–12 at the interval. The visitors used another attacking maul after the restart and Lake scored again. That try took Gloucester to 31–12 and left Exeter chasing a substantial deficit.
Seven tries, with Lake and Loader scoring twice
Ben Loader also crossed twice for Gloucester, while Seb Atkinson, Will Joseph and replacement Junior Denny supplied the other tries. Lake and Loader therefore accounted for four of the visitors’ seven scores. Exeter’s tries came from Josh Iosefa-Scott, Ethan Roots, Stephen Varney and Louie Gulley. The home side reduced the gap to 24–38 late on, but Denny’s converted try settled the final margin at 21 points.
A winning start for the skipper
Gloucester’s official report identifies Lake as skipper and records the bonus-point victory. His first score secured the fourth try before the break; the second extended the advantage immediately afterwards. The visitors outscored Exeter 19–12 in the second half, calculated from the club’s half-time and full-time totals. The result gives Lake a winning opening league match in charge of his new club.
Background and supporting figures
Where this sits
Lake and Loader scored four of Gloucester’s seven tries.
Gloucester second-half points 19 versus Exeter 12, derived from 26–12 at half-time and 45–24 at full-time.