Aviva Premiership: Exeter pick up bonus-point win

The Chiefs' commitment to running rugby was rewarded with tries for Jack Yeandle, Jack Nowell, Damian Welch and Haydn Thomas while the reliable Gareth Steenson added 17 points with the boot.

The result puts Exeter above Bath in the league table while for Wasps it means a seventh successive defeat in all competitions.

The hosts saw Stephen Jones miss a simple kick in the opening minute but long-range specialist Elliot Daly soon put them in front with a penalty from inside his own half.

But a Steenson burst put Exeter on the front foot and after Jason Shoemark was hauled down just short, Richard Baxter went over only for the video referee to rule out the score.

However, the play was brought back for a penalty and Steenson duly converted, before Welch made good ground on the right and the ball was recycled through six pairs of hands for Yeandle to dive over in the opposite corner.

Six minutes later Exeter struck again when flanker James Scaysbrook released Nowell inside for a clear run to the line, Steenson converting again for a 17-3 lead.

Dangerous winger Christian Wade gave the hosts some respite when he dashed past four defenders to bag an 11th try of the campaign, but when Wasps turned down a kickable penalty to go for touch the plan backfired when they turned over possession.

Steenson missed his first penalty of the day before the break but the visitors delivered a killer blow early in the second half, Welch again charging through the middle and evading the timid Daly to cross under the posts.

Exeter had Scaysbrook sin-binned and the hosts made them pay when Daly sent replacement Hugo Southwell over in the right corner on 49 minutes, but the Chiefs secured the bonus when Thomas jinked his way over 15 minutes later.

Tom Varndell raced in for a consolation try in the dying minutes but it mattered little in the scheme of things.