EXETER Chiefs powered into the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a ruthless 31–21 victory over Munster at Sandy Park – and in doing so sent a thunderous warning to the rest of their counterparts in the competition.

Backed by a scintillating return from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the Chiefs blew Munster away with a devastating first-half blitz that effectively settled the contest before the break.

Out since January with a hamstring injury sustained in England camp, the 23-year-old winger needed just 45 minutes to remind everyone exactly what they had been missing. Sharp, explosive and virtually impossible to contain, he was at the heart of everything Rob Baxter’s side did well.

His moment of brilliance came with the final play of the first half – a dazzling solo try that saw him slalom through a clutch of defenders to cap a breathtaking opening period and underline his status as one of the most dangerous attacking threats in European rugby.

By then, the damage was already done.

The Devonians had already surged into a commanding lead with a relentless and clinical attacking display. Flanker Ross Vintcent opened the scoring after slick work sparked by Feyi-Waboso, before England centre Henry Slade capitalised on a loose pass to race in unopposed.

Will Rigg soon added a third, again punishing Munster errors as the visitors struggled to cope with Exeter’s tempo and precision. It was ruthless, high-intensity rugby, with the Chiefs scoring 31 unanswered points in a blistering first-half display.

Munster, to their credit, showed resilience after the break. Inspired by Irish international fly-half Jack Crowley, who finished with 16 points, the visitors improved significantly. Crowley crossed early in the second half to ignite hope, while captain Tadhg Beirne added another following sustained pressure.

But the Chiefs refused to yield.

Having dazzled in attack before the interval, they dug deep defensively in the second half, repelling wave after wave of Munster pressure. A late score from Crowley added respectability, but never seriously threatened the outcome.

“We’re delighted to put in a performance like that and progress to the next round,” said Chiefs defence coach Haydn Thomas. “I thought we were very clinical in the first half, then the boys dug deep in the second and ground out what was a very big win for us.”

Feyi-Waboso’s impact was impossible to ignore, and Thomas was quick to highlight his importance of the speedster’s return to first team duties.

“Manny is such a quality player and we’re delighted to have him fit again. He was only allowed 50 minutes today, but you could see in that time what a threat on the ball he is.”

Exeter’s reward for seeing off the Irish challenge is another intriguing test, this time against Italian opposition. The Chiefs will face Benetton Treviso in the quarter-final this Sunday (12.30pm).

Meanwhile, Baxter’s squad strengthening for next season has continued with confirmation of the arrival of Sam Harris from Premiership rivals Bath Rugby.

The 22-year-old, who can play fly-half or full-back, said: “I’m excited to be joining Exeter Chiefs. It’s a club with a strong identity, an amazing fan base and a record of competing at the highest level.

“After speaking with the coaches, I felt this was the right environment for a fresh start. I’m excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to get started with the boys.”