Ashton reaches 100 Premiership tries in Leicester rout
MATCH REPORT: Leicester wing Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick as he became the first player to record 100 Premiership tries in a 62-19 hammering of Exeter on Sunday.
Defending champions Leicester have all but sealed a top-four spot and have an outside chance of a home semifinal in the play-offs.
But the Chiefs' play-off hopes are effectively over - they are 10 points off fourth place with just two games left to play.
Exeter was 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 was leading 22-12 at that point but they took full advantage of the dismissal to storm their way to an emphatic victory - their sixth consecutive league win.
Ashton, who said this week he would retire at the end of the season, now has 101 tries in the English top flight.
As well as hat-trick hero Ashton, Matt Scott scored two tries for the 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.
The scorers
For Leicester Tigers
Tries: Kelly, Van Poortvliet, Ashton 3, Martin, Scott 2, Penalty
Cons: Pollard 4, Gopperth 2
Pen: Pollard
For Exeter Chiefs
Tries: Simmonds, Hogg, Tuima
Cons: Simmonds, Skinner
The teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Matt Scott, 12 Dan Kelly, 11 Anthony Watson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 Cameron Henderson, 4 George Martin, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 1 James Cronin.
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Tom West, 18 Joe Heyes 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Olly Cracknell, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Jimmy Gopperth, 23 Harry Potter.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tom Wyatt, 13 Sean O’Brien, 12 Solomone Kata, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Will Becconsall, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Christ Tshiunza, 6 Aidon Davis, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Jack Dunne, 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 2 Jack Yeandle (captain), 1 Nika Abuladze.
Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Mike Williams, 20 Rus Tuima, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Rory O’Loughlin.
Referee: Karl Dickson
Assistant referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys, Phil Watters
TMO: Andrew Jackson