EXETER Chiefs reignited their hopes of qualification from Pool A in this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup as they returned to winning ways with a 22-17 victory over Bristol Bears at Sandy Park.

The Devonians lifted themselves off the foot of the pool – at the expense of their rivals - after picking up their second win of the competition.

Centre Will Rigg gave the Chiefs a dream start, crashing over from close range after just three minutes, before Louie Gulley – on his first senior start – added to their tally when he attached himself to the back of a maul to burrow over for a second score.

Bears winger Aidan Boshoff responded for the visitors following Max Lahiff's drive up field only for Campbell Ridl latched onto a hack through from Charlie Chapman to add Exeter’s third try of the contest.

Boshoff claimed a brace of his own with 10 minutes to go, but Bristol were unable to breach the home defence in the dying moments.

With each side having played four games Gloucester lead the group with 15 points, three ahead of Sale Sharks with Bath a further point back. Exeter's win moved them above Bristol into fourth place on eight points, two clear of the Bears.

Meanwhile, Chiefs duo Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade both scored tries as England wrapped up their Quilter Autumn Nations Series with a hard-fought 27-23 win over Argentina at the Allianz Stadium.

Man-of-the-match Max Ojomoh scored England’s other try, which extended England’s winning streak to 11 successive Tests.

Ojomoh scored one try and made Feyi-Waboso’s effort with a cross-field kick in the first half as England stretched out into a 17-3 lead at the break.

Their advantage could have been even more emphatic had Cornish-born hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie not had a try ruled out for a slight knock-on on the final play of the first half.

Argentina fought their way back into the contest after the break as Justo Piccardo slid in for a try before a pair of penalties from Tomas Albornoz and Santiago Carreras reduced the deficit to a point on the hour.

Slade added a third score for the hosts, finishing off good approach work from Alex Coles and Ojomoh. George Ford's conversion and penalty pushed England 11 points clear, only for Rodrigo Isgro's converted try in the final minute to set up a grandstand last play.

In Cardiff, Exeter’s Dafydd Jenkins was on the losing side as Wales were defeated 52-26 by New Zealand at the Principality Stadium.

Wales will face world champions South Africa in their final autumn international this Saturday, but will be without 13 players who play club rugby in England and France, including Jenkins.

Australia – who included Tom Hooper and Len Ikitau in their side – ended a European tour winless for the first time in 67 years after a 48-33 defeat by France at the Stade de France.

It was the Wallabies' fourth defeat of the autumn after losses to Italy, England and Ireland – and their 10th of the year.

Both Hooper and Ikitau, however, are expected to return to club colours this Friday when the Chiefs make the trek to Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership.

Rob Baxter’s side currently sit third in the standings, having won three and drawn one of their five league starts to date. The Sharks, meanwhile, sit seventh.