Chiefs 15 Saints 8

Exeter Chiefs 15

Northampton Saints 8

Mark Stevens at Sandy Park

It's a day that will forever live long in the history of Exeter Rugby Club as the Chiefs claimed their first major silverware within the game with a 15-8 victory over Northampton Saints in the final of the LV= Cup.

Rob Baxter's side toasted Anglo-Welsh glory on home soil as tries from Chris Whitehead and Dean Mumm, coupled with five points from the boot of young fly-half Henry Slade, sealed a memorable win for Devon's finest.

Having suffered Cup Final heartache on numerous occasions in the past, there was no denying the Chiefs this time round as they eased past their Premiership counterparts.

The Saints countered with a Samu Manoa try and a penalty from Glenn Dickson, but that was their scant reward on a day when the Westcountry outfit produced one of their gutsy performances in years.

Running out to a packed house at Sandy Park, Baxter had been forced to tinker with his winning formula from that which had triumphed for the first time in 36 years at Bath the week previous. Changes saw Ben Moon return in the front-row at the expense of Carl Rimmer; Jason Shoemark came in at centre for Ian Whitten, whilst Tongan flyer Fetu’u Vainikolo started on the left wing in place of Tom James.
On the bench, Romana Graham and Sireli Naqelevuki were given rare inclusions in the match-day 23, whilst Don Armand was also back having missed the game at The Rec as he was back home in South Africa getting married.

The Saints, meanwhile, were also able to field a powerful array of talent even though they were devoid of international stars such as Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Dickson, North and Burrell. Proven Premiership performers were awash across their starting XV, but they were dealt a double blow just prior to kick-off when playmaker Stephen Myler and fellow back Will Hooley were ruled out due to injury.

With personnel in place and the stadium awash with colour on a sun-baked day in the Westcountry, it was the Chiefs who set the early tone as they took the game to their rivals from the first blast of referee Andrew Small’s whistle.

Fancy footwork from Phil Dollman created the initial havoc in the Saints defence as he tore through the middle and although the Welshman was felled, the ensuing play from the Chiefs saw them win a penalty. Declining the kick at goal, Slade punted the ball to the right corner, the home line-out ensued and from the resultant shove, it was hooker Whitehead who emerged from the mass of bodies to accept the acclaim of his ecstatic team-mates.

Sadly Slade could not add the extras on this occasion, drifting his kick just wide of the far post.

As expected there was a rapid response from the Saints and having threatened to cause damage deep inside the Exeter half, they finally got themselves on the board when Dickson landed a penalty after the Chiefs were adjudged to have dropped a scrum.

The points seemed to momentarily ignite the Saints in their attacking endeavours. Samoan international George Pisi was a constant threat in the heart of their back division, whilst up front the sheer bulk of locks Samu Manoa and Christian Day was key in helping to get their side on the front foot.

The Chiefs, however, were miserly in defence. To a man they held firm in the face of some mounting Northampton pressure and having repelled the Saints, they turned defence into counter-attack with full-back Arscott leading the charge.

Although the Plymouth-born back failed to add to the scoreboard, his threat - coupled with that of those around him - enabled the Chiefs to not only clear the danger, but at the same time add to their scoring tally.

Having seen a penalty attempt just fail to hit the mark, fly-half Slade atoned for his earlier misses when he dissected the posts with a sweet left-footed effort after Northampton hooker Mike Haywood had strayed offside under the gaze of referee Small.

HALF TIME EXETER CHIEFS 8 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 3

With little to choose between either side after a bruising 40 minutes, any thoughts the second period would slacken off were quickly dismissed as the two rivals again tore into each other.

Collisions aplenty littered the opening exchanges of the half, but it was the Chiefs who were to emerge from the battle in better shape.

Baxter’s side were growing in confidence by the minute and their efforts were duly rewarded when they crossed for a second try just ten minutes into the half.

Having won turnover ball wide on the right, the Chiefs worked the ball across the park to the opposite flank where - in an instance - the home side produced a sublime catalogue of passes that saw Vainikolo link with man-of-the-match Kai Horstmann, whose offload released skipper Mumm, who did the rest as he bulldozed his way over the whitewash.

Small was initially unsure as to the grounding from the Aussie talisman, but the countless replays beamed across the big screens merely confirmed the envitable. Each replay was greeted with an even louder cheer, before the official finally raised his arm aloft to confirm the score, which Slade duly converted to put his side 15-3 in front.

Now two scores clear, the Chiefs had the buffer they needed to push on within the contest. Further half chances came and went before Exeter came within a whisker of adding a third try on the hour mark.

Little appeared to be on when Arscott collected a ball deep inside his own half, but the No.15 dropped a shoulder, side-stepped one, then two and all of a sudden he was clear of the Northampton cover. As the majority of Sandy Park rose to salute what appeared a defining third try, the Chief was felled just inches from the line by a combination of Kahn Fotuali'i and Pisi and he spilled the ball forward.

On another day it could have been a crucial miss, but although the Saints countered with a late try of their own from US international Manoa, who rounded off a clever move in the left-hand corner, it was never enough to deny Devon's finest.

Slade saw a late penalty chance cannon back off the near post, but by then the celebrations had already started all around the ground.

In scenes reminiscent of that which greeted Exeter's elevation into the Premiership four years ago at Bristol, this was again a day to remember for everyone connected to the Chiefs.
Chiefs: L Arscott; F Vainikolo, P Dollman, J Shoemark, M Jess; H Slade, D Lewis (H Thomas 68); B Moon, C Whitehead (L Cowan-Dickie 66), H Tui (A Brown 66); D Mumm (capt), D Welch; D Ewers, B White (D Armand 51), K Horstmann. Replacements (not used): C Rimmer, R Graham, G Steenson, S Naqelevuki.

Tries - Whitehead, Mumm; Conversion - Slade; Penalty - Slade

Saints: B Foden; K Pisi (F Autagavaia 72), G Pisi, J Wilson, J Elliott; G Dickson (A Day 75), K Fotuali'i; A Waller (E Waller 65), M Haywood (R McMillan 72), S Ma'afu (T Mercey 49); S Manoa (J Craig 72); C Day; C Clark (B Nutley 51), P Dowson (capt), GJ Van Velze. Replacement (not used): S Olver.

Try - Manoa; Penalty - Dickson

Referee: A Small

Attendance: 10,004