Feyi-Waboso collision controversy ‘doesn’t add up’ for Exeter as Ulster march to final
Ulster Rugby 29 Exeter Chiefs 12
Ulster are heading to their first European final in 14 years – but Exeter Chiefs left Belfast wondering how they lost both the match and their most dangerous weapon in a moment that never seemed properly punished.
Rob Baxter’s side rolled the dice to get here, resting players the week before to take aim at a second showpiece of the season. Instead, their European Rugby Challenge Cup campaign ended in frustration, confusion and a nagging sense of what might have been.
The turning point – and main talking point – came when England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was forced off after a first-half collision with opposite number Jacob Stockdale.
French referee Pierre Brousset – following detailed dialogue with the TMO and numerous replays – deemed it minimal head contact, producing only a yellow card. But what followed left the Chiefs incredulous.
Feyi-Waboso passed his head injury assessment, yet was ruled out of returning to the action by the independent match-day doctor. Stockdale, meanwhile, left the field himself with a facial injury and did not return. In that moment, the Chiefs lost their most explosive attacker; Ulster lost nothing more in terms of sanction.
“I need to be careful because I haven’t reviewed everything properly, but there’s something around that incident that doesn’t quite add up,” said Baxter. “The referee judged it as minimal head contact and issued a yellow card. Manny goes off, passes his HIA, but then the independent match-day doctor rules him out based on what he saw. At the same time, their player doesn’t return due to a facial injury.
“There’s an inconsistency there. If it’s minimal head contact, then Manny should be able to return after passing his HIA. If it’s significant enough to cause that level of injury, then the refereeing decision should reflect that. For me, something in that situation doesn’t quite align, and unfortunately, it seemed to go against us.”
Baxter’s remarks were certainly measured, stressing player welfare “always comes first”, but the contradiction lingered.
And while the Chiefs might point to that moment, their director of rugby did not hide from the harsher truth.
“It was a tale of two teams. One was clinical, the other wasn’t. That’s the simplest way to describe it. We put a huge amount of effort into the game and did a lot of good things. The fight, spirit, desire and work rate were all there, but ultimately, our error count cost us.”
The Chiefs had chances. Early breaks from Stephen Varney and Ross Vintcent hinted at promise, but hesitation at the breakdown killed momentum. Henry Slade missed from the tee, and when Juarno Augustus powered over, Ulster sensed their moment.
Even when Tom Hooper and Vintcent combined to level, the Chiefs could not build.
“It felt like one of those games where almost everyone made a mistake,” Baxter admitted. “With 15 players, those errors compound.”
Ulster, by contrast, were ruthless. Nathan Doak edged them ahead before the break, and second-half tries from Jack Murphy, Dave McCann and Tom Stewart turned pressure into scoreboard control.
The Devonians chased the game in the second period, but never truly recovered. A yellow card for Ben Hammersley summed up a night where discipline and accuracy deserted them, while a late score from Campbell Ridl came too late to matter.
Ulster now head to Bilbao with silverware in sight. Exeter head home with lessons to learn – and one lingering question.
Match details
Scoring sequence:5-0 Augustus try, 7-0 Doak con, 7-5 Vintcent try, 7-7 Slade con, 10-7 Doak pen, 15-7 Murphy try, 17-7 Doak con, 22-7 McCann try, 27-7 Stewart try, 29-7 Doak con, 29-12 Ridl try.
Ulster Rugby:M Lowry; Z Ward, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey (C McKee 71), J Stockdale (E McIlroy 40); J Murphy, N Doak; S Crean (E O’Sullivan 64), T Stewart (J McCormick 70), T O’Toole (T McAllister 68); I Henderson (c, C Irvine 64)), C Izuchukwu; D McCann, N Timoney, J Augustus (B Ward 64). Replacement (not used): J Flannery.
Sin-bin:Stockdale 30.
Exeter Chiefs:B Hammersley; C Ridl, H Slade (N Lilley 77), L Ikitau, I Feyi-Waboso (W Haydon-Wood 30); H Skinner, S Varney (T Cairns 67); S Sio (E Burger 54), M Norey (J Dweba 54), B Tchumbadze (J Iosefa-Scott 54); D Jenkins (c), A Zambonin (R Tuima 64); T Hooper, C Vintencent, R Vintcent (F Worley Brady 72).
Sin-bin:Hammersley 73.
Referee:Pierre Brousset.
