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.
DOUBLE CHAMPIONS
Awesome Exeter Chiefs pic.twitter.com/gnuLtSlrgV
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) October 24, 2020
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.
A second penalty for @ExeterChiefs right on the stroke of HT gives them the lead ?
But @WaspsRugby look just as dangerous… ?
Who'll come out on top after another 40??#GallagherPremFinal #EXEvWAS pic.twitter.com/LH3PPHjq10
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) October 24, 2020
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.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments