Exeter edge Newcastle as Wade hits 100 tries
Exeter Chiefs held on to beat Newcastle Red Bulls 34-28 at home on 11 October for their first win of the Prem campaign. They survived a hat-trick from Christian Wade. His third try took him to 100 top-tier tries, a mark only one other player has reached The Guardian.
Wade now stands alone in second place on the all-time list. Chris Ashton holds the Prem career record with 101 tries. Wade, Newcastle’s wing — the wide attacker tasked with finishing moves — is the second player ever to reach a century.
It was a nine-try afternoon in Devon, with Exeter hosting and just doing enough to win Yahoo Sports. Ross Vintcent struck twice for Exeter in the first quarter to give the hosts early control. A try is worth five points, scored by grounding the ball over the opposition line, and those early scores lifted the home crowd.
Newcastle hit back through Max Hicks after good work from Wade The Guardian. Wade then took centre stage with three finishes of his own. His pace and timing kept Newcastle in touch until the final minutes.
Exeter found the decisive score late on. Bachuki Tchumbadze, the Georgian prop — the front-row forward who anchors the scrum — powered over to seal victory. It was a relief for a club that reached the Prem final in June but had started the new season without a win.
For Newcastle, the search for an away win goes on. They arrived having gone almost four years without a league victory on the road. There was at least a glimpse of the future in Jake Dalziel, 18, who became the youngest player to represent Newcastle in the Prem.
Exeter paid a price for the win. England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso left the game early with a tweaked hamstring. Director of rugby Rob Baxter will now wait on news of how long he faces without one of his most dangerous runners.
The crowd was 7,071 in a stadium that holds 15,000. That was down from 8,682 for Exeter’s opening-weekend derby against Gloucester. The club slashed ticket prices in most categories between October and Christmas 2026 in a bid to bring more supporters back.
What makes this stand out is the contrast. Exeter got the points they needed and sit eighth in the table after Round 3 with eight points, while Newcastle sit ninth with four Premiership Rugby. Yet much of the talk will be about Wade, whose century came in defeat.
For fans, this means two stories in one. Exeter have steadied their season. Wade has written his name deeper into league history, with Ashton’s record now just one try away.
