Leicester Tigers named all seven of their returning England internationals for the difficult trip to face Exeter at Sandy Park.
Exeter had two big-game players pull out of the squad just before the kick-off.
Big Fijian centre Sereli Neqelevuki failed a fitness tests and flanker James Scaysbrook was released to be with his wife for the birth of their child.
9 MIN: PENALTY (3-0) Exeter start strongly and make their pressure count with the opening points of the game. Fly-half Gareth Steenson kicks the first of three penalties after Tigers flanker Julian Salvi is pinged for not rolling away at the back of a ruck.
17 MIN: PENALTY (3-3) The visitors get on the scoreboard after their first serious attack is sparked by a Ben Youngs break. Exeter are offside at a ruck and Toby Flood strikes the ball through the uprights on his return from England duty.
23 MIN: PENALTY (3-6) Tigers take the lead six minutes later as Leicester begin to get the ascendency in the scrum with a third consecutive penalty. This one is within kicking range and Flood makes no mistake.
25 MIN: PENALTY (6-6) Exeter go straight down the other end of the park and win a penalty of their own to give Steenson the chance to level the scores once more.
29 MIN: PENALTY (6-9) Tigers go back in front again in a game that is starting to look like it is going to be won by the odd kick at goal as defences dominate. Flood kicks his third penalty of the day.
36 MIN: What looks like being the best try-scoring chance of the day comes and goes and it is the visitors who waste the opportunity. Manu Tuilagi breaks through a big gap in defence and passes to Mat Tait, but he is smothered after ignoring Tom Croft on his outside and Exeter scramble to stop the ball going over the line.
38 MIN: PENALTY (9-9) To make matters worse, the Chiefs then break down field and win a penalty when Niall Morris handles poor Tait's knock-on in an offside position. Steenson makes no mistake and lands a long-range penalty with the strong wind at his back.
H-T: Exeter 9 Tigers 9
69 MIN: PEN (9-12) The game's deciding moment? Chiefs' substitute scrum-half Will Chudley strays offside and Flood lands the penalty. This could well be enough in this game.
80 MIN: There is late drama as Tigers are pinged at the scrum to give Steenson a last-gasp chance of bagging a draw – but his penalty holds up in the wind and falls a metre short of the posts.
F-T: Exeter 9 Tigers 12
