Exeter are double winners after edging out battling Wasps at Twickenham
Exeter joined the ranks of English double winners after digging deep to end Wasps’ courageous resistance in treacherous conditions at Twickenham. A week after edging Racing 92 to claim their first European title, the Chiefs emerged 19-13 winners from the Gallagher Premiership final to take their place alongside Leicester, Wasps and Saracens in claiming domestic and continental honours.
Given their fractured build-up that saw training cancelled for a week after seven players tested positive for coronavirus, Wasps were magnificent.
The repercussions of the outbreak saw flanker Brad Shields and props Kieran Brookes and Simon McIntyre ruled out because of contact tracing protocols, while big-hitting centre Malakai Fekitoa was lost to a groin injury.
But Lee Blackett’s men, the Premiership’s form team post-lockdown who sat 10th when their head coach took over in February, stayed in the fight right until the end and even blew a glorious position in the closing minutes when they botched a line-out.
Exeter were forced to drawn on all their reserves to win their second Premiership crown, this one secured behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was only when captain Joe Simmonds kicked his fourth penalty in overtime that the Chiefs knew they had crept over the line to continue their fairytale season 10 years after joining England’s top flight.
Henry Slade’s well taken first-half try helped him win man of the match, but Simmonds was also outstanding behind a pack that had met their match in a Wasps eight determined to win a first title since 2008.
In swirling wind and driving rain, Simmonds finished with 14 points and with the final kick he extended his successful sequence of penalties to 33.
Twickenham was near-empty but the voices of the small pockets of replacements and support staff rang out across the stadium as the rivals collided in a full blooded opening made difficult by the conditions.
Jimmy Gopperth landed an early penalty and Wasps claimed another moral victory when they snatched Exeter’s line-out ball in an area of the pitch where the European champions are so dangerous.
But the Chiefs renewed the assault and in the 18th minute they surged ahead, Slade spotting a gap between two tight five forwards and sliding through in a run that swept him over the line.
The repeat of the 2017 final continued its edgy path with Wasps bravely manning the barricades in defence as Exeter slowly built territorial pressure, but in an instant the lead change hands.
A forward barrage hurled the black shirts backwards before Dan Robson broke sideways and sent Jacob Umaga through a gap, with a sidestep taking the 22-year-old past Stuart Hogg and across the whitewash.
When Simmonds kicked successive penalties, Exeter were back in front to end a set-piece battle of a first half 13-10 ahead. They deserved the lead, but Wasps remained dangerous opponents.
Under siege in the 47th minute as the Chiefs launched their close range driving game, it took a brilliant intervention from Jack Willis to stop them scoring as his jackling forced a penalty.
It was a huge moment and more defensive heroics were needed as the final quarter approached. Wasps continued to muscle their way out of trouble, drawing strength from their scrum and maul.
Lima Sopoaga showed athleticism to keep a clearance in play and when a counter-attack pushed Exeter back, a penalty gave Gopperth a routine three points to tie the score.
Simmonds replied in kind and while the Chiefs continued to pound away, the telling blow eluded them yet again as Wasps superbly defended a close-range line-out.
And when the underdogs muscled their way down to the other end, they boldly opted for a line-out when awarded a penalty, only for the ball to be thrown straight at Jonny Gray.
It was Wasps’ final chance and having thrown it away, they watched as Simmonds found the target for a fourth and final time.
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No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson. And Eddie Jones.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so you have to go looking for another national coach who supports his country and believes in what he is doing. Like NZ replacing Ian Foster. And South Africa bringing Erasmus back in to over see Neinbar.
This is the real world. Not the fantasy oh you don't need passion for your country for international rugby. Ask a kiwi, or a south african or a frenchman.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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