Chris Ashton became the first player to score 100 tries in Premiership rugby as he delivered a hat-trick to spur Leicester to a 62-19 win over Exeter at Welford Road, demolishing Chiefs’ hopes of reaching the play-offs; Ashton hailed as “the best try-scorer Europe has ever seen”
Last Updated: 16/04/23 7:13pm
Chris Ashton is the first man to score 100 tries in Premiership rugby
Leicester wing Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick en route to becoming the first player to record 100 Premiership tries as Exeter’s play-off hopes evaporated on an afternoon of high drama at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
Exeter were making a decent fist of trying to end their worst-ever away run in the Premiership until their wing Olly Woodburn was harshly red-carded just after half-time.
Leicester were leading 22-12 at that point but they took full advantage of the dismissal to storm their way to an emphatic 62-19 victory – their sixth consecutive league win.
Ashton scores one of his tries as Leicester inflict a heavy defeat on Exeter
As well as hat-trick hero Ashton, Matt Scott scored two tries for Tigers with Dan Kelly, Jack van Poortvliet and George Martin also touching down. There was also a contentious penalty try award with Handre Pollard kicking a penalty and four conversions. Jimmy Gopperth added two conversions.
Sam Simmonds, Stuart Hogg and Rus Tuima scored Exeter’s tries with Joe Simmonds and Harvey Skinner each slotting over a conversion.
Leicester w …