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Chiefs win first Premiership title in Twickenham thriller
Exeter Chiefs were crowned Premiership champions for the first time after Gareth Steenson’s penalty two minutes from the end of extra time secured a dramatic 23-20 victory over Wasps at Twickenham.
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Steenson slotted over a penalty after 80 minutes to ensure the two sides were locked at 20-20 at the end of normal time in a thrilling final on Saturday.
The long-serving fly-half then came up with the decisive kick with time running out to make last year’s runners-up champions of England just seven years after they were promoted to the top flight for the first time.
Wasps finished the regular season at the top of the table on points difference ahead of the Chiefs and they played out a 35-35 draw in February, but it was the Devon club who edged an epic showdown in the London sun.
What an incredible #AvivaPremFinal we’ve just witnessed. @WaspsRugby were worthy finalists but it’s @ExeterChiefs who are champions pic.twitter.com/ebjXaXSA7e
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 27, 2017
Exeter led 14-10 at the end of a first half which they dominated after Jimmy Gopperth crossed on the stroke of the interval following scores from Jack Nowell and Phil Dollman for the Chiefs.
Dai Young’s men were a different side in the second half, Elliot Daly going over just a few minutes after the interval and Gopperth converting and adding a penalty to put them 20-14 to the good.
Steenson cut the gap to three points from the tee and Exeter turned down a simple chance at goal which would have brought them level before the fly-half landed a penalty in the 80th minute to keep the Chiefs in it and had the final say in extra time.
Exeter wing Nowell struck first, two days before he jets off on the British and Irish Lions tour, bursting through a gap after taking a pass from Luke Cowan-Dickie at the back off a lineout to scoot over for a try 14 minutes in.
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Baxter’s side had the bit between their teeth and Ollie Devoto broke free before conjuring up a superb offload for Dollman to go over for a score, Steenson converting for the second time either side of a Gopperth penalty.
The Chiefs bossed the set-piece in the first half and Wasps, missing the influential Kurtley Beale, looked nervy, but the Coventry-based side were given a huge lift when Gopperth rounded off a slick move and added the extras just before the break.
Wasps came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and Daly got on the end of a kick and chase from Christian Wade which bounced kindly for the Lions man after Nathan Hughes turned over a loose ball
Steenson cut the gap to three points and ensured there would be another 20 minutes with another penalty right at the end, after the Chiefs made the bold move to go for a scrum close to the line rather than go for the posts.
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Exeter thought they had won it five minutes from the end of extra time but the TMO saw no evidence that the ball had been grounded. Yet there was still time for Steenson to settle it after Wasps were penalised when a scrum went down.
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments