Brief

Exeter Chiefs lose 43-40 to 14‑man Toulouse in Champions Cup thriller

A hat‑trick from Zack Wimbush and a red card for Toulouse prop Rodrigue Neti shaped the high‑scoring encounter.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 19 Oct 2026 07:16:25 GMT

Exeter Chiefs were edged out 43-40 by a 14‑man Toulouse side in a Champions Cup match on 18 October 2026, Independent reported.

What happened

The game opened with Exeter’s Zack Wimbush scoring within a minute, followed by a conversion from Henry Slade. Toulouse responded through Ange Capuozzo, but a penalty try gave the hosts an early lead. A seven‑minute burst saw Exeter’s Sam Harris sin‑binned and Toulouse prop Rodrigue Neti sent off for a high tackle, leaving the French side with 14 men.

Exeter capitalised, with Wimbush adding another try and Slade converting. Toulouse answered with a converted try from Joshua Brennan and a try by Teddy Thomas, who later received a yellow card. At halftime Exeter led 26-24.

In the second half, Will Butt’s try and Slade’s conversion extended Exeter’s advantage. Toulouse fought back as Matias Remue and Romain Ntamack scored in quick succession, both converted by the fly‑half. Wimbush completed a hat‑trick, and Slade’s conversion briefly put Exeter ahead again before Ben Hammersley was yellow‑carded and Remue’s try gave Toulouse the lead. A final penalty kick by Slade went wide, sealing a narrow Toulouse victory.

What was said

The Independent did not include direct quotations in its report.

Key facts

Exeter Chiefs lost 43-40 to Toulouse in the Champions Cup. (independent.co.uk)
Toulouse played most of the second half with 14 players after Rodrigue Neti was red‑carded. (independent.co.uk)
Zack Wimbush scored a hat‑trick for Exeter. (independent.co.uk)
Henry Slade converted multiple tries and a penalty for Exeter. (independent.co.uk)
Matias Remue and Romain Ntamack each scored for Toulouse in the second half. (independent.co.uk)