Exeter live up to billing with comfortable win over Wasps
Exeter Chiefs backed up their newly-appointed Gallagher Premiership title favourites tag as they secured a 38-3 bonus-point victory over struggling Wasps.
Tries from England internationals Ben Moon and Luke Cowan-Dickie, a penalty try, a superb Tom O’Flaherty effort and a powerful score from an Alec Hepburn surge saw Rob Baxter’s men banish the ghosts of a shock loss in this fixture seven months ago.
Wasps made the worst possible start when Dan Robson’s kick from just outside the 22 got caught in the swirling Sandy Park wind and drifted out on the full.
The Chiefs swarmed to claim a line-out ball and after patient phase play, loose-head prop Moon drove over from a couple of metres out for a try Gareth Steenson improved from the tee.
Jacob Umaga scored his first points since signing a new senior deal at Wasps in midweek by slotting over a penalty, but Steenson cancelled it out with his second successful kick at goal after 20 minutes.
It was Wasps’ 21-year-old half-back who created two gilt-edged chances as Italian international Matteo Minozzi profited from excellent link-up play from Nizaam Carr and Zach Kibirige, only for a wonderful try-saving tackle from O’Flaherty to prevent the full-back’s first score in England following his summer move from Zebre.
Moments later it was Michael Le Bourgeois’ chance to snatch at an opportunity, forcing an offload metres from the line into a defender’s hands.
Exeter counter-attacked and it was that man O’Flaherty, this time with the ball in his hands, wreaking havoc.
With Wasps back-pedalling and Jack Nowell pleading for the ball, the wingers failed to make it stick with the pass bouncing loose and into touch as Exeter took a seven-point lead into the interval.
The tone was set for the second half when Exeter profited from a loose line-out throw, Don Armand cut a great angle inside the 22 only to be brilliantly hauled down by the brave Umaga near his own five-metre line.
But there was no such reprieve for Wasps 13 minutes after the break when hooker Cowan-Dickie rolled over from a line-out close to Wasps’ line. Steenson’s third successful kick of the day opened a 14-point lead.
With both locks – Will Rowlands and Charlie Matthews – off injured, Wasps’ scrum, that started so strongly, fell apart, culminating in Kieran Brookes being sin-binned and Exeter earning a penalty try from a dominant drive on the hour mark.
Still a man up, Exeter further stretched their lead and secured a bonus point with 13 minutes remaining when O’Flaherty cut a beautiful line to ghost under the posts.
Back to 15 men, Wasps still had no answer to the Chiefs as Hepburn drove over with four minutes remaining to complete an emphatic 38-3 home win.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
35 Go to comments