Dewi Lake scores twice as Gloucester rout Exeter in Prem match at Exeter on 26 September 2026

Dewi Lake crossed twice as Gloucester produced a seven-try performance to claim an emphatic away victory over Exeter in a Premiership match at Exeter on 26 September 2026. Ben Loader also scored two tries and Gloucester had a bonus point secured before half-time on a windy afternoon in Devon.

Gloucester’s win was a striking early-season statement after they managed just one league away victory in 2025-26, and the visitors’ attacking surge was driven by recent Welsh signings including Lake and Jac Morgan. Lake was named player of the match for his two tries and his influence in the set piece and the maul, while Gloucester credited summer arrivals on the coaching staff — forwards coach Brett Deacon, defence coach Joel Tomkins and technical director Chris Boyd — for recent improvements. Rob Baxter described Exeter’s display as “baffling”, and the home side conceded there had been a touch of illness in their camp this week, though that did not entirely explain Gloucester’s superiority.

Gloucester, wearing a pink change strip, made the most of the wind in the opening 40 minutes and earned a bonus point before the break. Two similar chip kicks created space for Ben Loader on the left wing and those scores were part of a first-half pattern that combined greater set-piece stability and tighter defending, forcing Exeter to work hard for entry into their opponents’ 22.

Lake, who captained Gloucester, was prominent from early on, his lineout throwing described in the report as “straighter than Luke Littler,” and he dived into the left corner to complete Gloucester’s fourth try just before half-time. He then burrowed over for his second try five minutes after the restart, underpinning the visitors’ control of the match.

Will Joseph produced a solo weaving try that pushed Gloucester’s lead out to 20 points, and Exeter’s response arrived later when Stephen Varney sprinted over from 30 metres out; Varney was denied a second try by an outstanding last-ditch tackle. Freddie Thomas was sent to the sin-bin in the 70th minute and Exeter’s replacement hooker Louie Gulley scored on his Premiership debut to secure a try bonus for the Chiefs, only for Gloucester to reply with a last-minute try from Junior Denny.

Exeter team line-up given in the report was: Hammersley (Haydon-Wood, 63); Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Butt (Wimbush, 60), Woodburn; Skinner, Varney; Burger (Goodrick-Clarke, 57), Yeandle (Gulley, 57), Iosefa-Scott (J Roots, 57), Jenkins (capt), Wilson (Beckerleg, 73), E Roots (Worley-Brady, 73), James, Fisilau. Tries: Iosefa-Scott, E Roots, Varney, Gulley. Cons: Slade 2.

Gloucester were listed as: Redshaw (Denney, 73); Joseph (Barton, 78), P Cokanasiga, S Atkinson, Loader; C Atkinson, Englefield (Robson, 55); Rapava-Ruskin (Blueler, 52), Lake (capt; Innard, 55), Fasogbon (C Knight, 52), Kleyn (Ludlow, 52), Clark, Thomas, Morgan, Trenholm (Clement, 63). Tries: Loader 2, S Atkinson, Lake 2, Joseph, Denney. Cons: C Atkinson 4, Barton. Yellow card: Freddie Thomas 70. Referee: Matthew Carley. Attendance: 8,682.

“I thought Gloucester were good and knew what they wanted to do today,” said Baxter. “But I don’t think I’ve seen us quite as poor in terms of some of our basics or lack of desire to counterattack into the wind in the second half. Sometimes a slap in the face like this can be good for you but it’s up to the lads how they react to it.” Their new American backers will have hoped they were taking over a team pushing for a second consecutive Prem final, and suddenly their team will need to improve substantially merely to finish higher than their opponents.