European Challenge Cup: Stade Francais 27-25 Exeter - Chiefs' 22-Point Lead Vanquished
Stade Francais: (0) 27
Tries: Melikidze, Motassi, Penalty, Laloi
Cons: Barre
Pens: Barre
Exeter: (17) 25
Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Sio 2
Cons: Slade 2
Pens: Slade
Drop goal: Slade
Exeter's indiscipline cost them dearly as they squandered a 22-point lead against Stade Francais in the European Challenge Cup.
Paul Brown-Bampoe's try in the 15th minute and Scott Sio's score just before halftime put Exeter up 17-0 at the break.
Sio scored again soon after the restart, extending Exeter's lead to 22-0, but Giorgi Melikidze responded for Stade.
Thibaut Motassi's try narrowed the gap further as Exeter gave away penalty after penalty.
Greg Fisilau was sin-binned for bringing down a maul in the 63rd minute, and replacement Lewis Pearson was penalized for a similar offense a minute later, putting Exeter down to 13 players.
Despite being two men short, Charles Laloi's try put the hosts ahead soon after. However, Henry Slade's drop goal from 35 meters with eight minutes left saw Exeter take a one-point lead, despite their reduced numbers.
But Leo Barre's penalty four minutes later, after another Exeter error, sealed the French side's victory.
The loss means Exeter remains second in Pool Three, but they cannot win the group as Stade has a six-point lead over the Chiefs with one game to go.
Exeter needed try-saving tackles from Ethan Roots and Slade in the first 12 minutes. They took the lead three minutes later when Brown-Bampoe caught a long pass from Dafydd Jenkins in the left corner.
This gave the Chiefs confidence, and they began to threaten more. However, both teams struggled to breach each other's red zone, with Slade adding a penalty six minutes before halftime.
It wasn't until the last moments of the first half that Exeter had any significant time in Stade's red zone. They made the most of it as Sio crashed over from close range after sustained pressure on the Stade line.
Sio scored another close-range try five minutes after the restart, before Melikidze replied for the hosts from a similar distance six minutes later after their first period of pressure on the Exeter line.
Exeter's discipline began to waver under the hosts' increased pressure. Following a five-meter lineout after a fourth successive penalty, Motassi scored from a meter out with 20 minutes to go.
Another lineout from a penalty saw Fisilau bring down a maul. When Pearson did the same seconds later, Exeter were reduced to 13 men and were awarded a penalty try.
Within three minutes, they were behind as Barre fed Joe Jonas, who put Laloi through in the right corner for Stade's bonus-point try.
Slade put Exeter back in front with his drop goal, but another penalty - after Will Haydon-Wood was penalized for holding on - sealed their fate as Barre kicked the winning points.
Stade Francais: Jonas; Laloi, Marchant, Vili, Etien; Foursans-Bourdette, Motassi; Iscaro, Nicotera, Alo-Emile, Gabrillagues (capt), Turagacoke, Scelzo, Hirigoyen, Mapu
Replacements: Garcia Albo, Alo-Emile, Melikidze, Pesenti, Briatte, Delbouis, Abadie, Barre
Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Rigg, Brown-Bampoe; Haydon-Wood, Chapman; Sio, Dweba, Tchumbadze, Jenkins (capt), Zambonin, Hooper, Roots, Fisilau.
Replacements: Yeandle, Goodrick-Clarke, Tuima, Pearson, James, Cairns, Coen.
Yellow card: Fisilau (64), Pearson (65)
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
