Henry Slade described Exeter’s first Gallagher Premiership victory of the season as “better than sex” after the Chiefs beat West Country rivals Gloucester 22-15 at Sandy Park.

Exeter had not won a Premiership game since May, losing eight on the bounce this term, but prop Josh Iosefa-Scott’s 74th-minute try saw the Chiefs home as they climbed off the basement above Newcastle. Asked for his verdict on the result, England international and Exeter fly-half Slade told TNT Sports: “Better than sex. Don’t tell my wife that!

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“It was awesome. Confidence has been low. Naturally, when you lose games on the bounce, you do lose confidence. But the boys have been scrapping and fighting. There has been a lot of heartache, and to come out on the right side today makes it all the better because it has taken so long.”

Exeter led at the break following touchdowns for hooker Dan Frost and centre Tamati Tua, with Slade converting both scores, as Gloucester were reduced to a solitary Santi Carreras penalty.

But tries in quick succession after the interval for fly-half Gareth Anscombe and replacement prop Jamal Ford-Robinson, one converted by Carreras, put them ahead. Carreras, though, also missed a conversion and penalty, and Exeter closed the game out via a Slade penalty and Iosefa-Scott’s try.

Reflecting on Exeter’s losing run, Chiefs rugby director Rob Baxter said: “I have obviously felt the pressure because I want the team to win, the players to feel success here, we want to bring supporters through the gate.

“But to be fair, Tony (club chairman Tony Rowe) and the board have been very supportive. I have never had a conversation of ‘win next week, or it’s all over’ or ‘this has got to change’. But at the same time, they have expected us to to turn it around over a period.

“Gloucester are not a team short on confidence at the moment – they have had some good results against good sides – and fair play to our lads, they have stuck in there and stuck to most of what we tried to put in place.

“We perhaps could have had more control in the game, but ultimately we found a way of fighting our way through it.”