Harlequins 24 Chiefs 62

Harlequins 24

Exeter Chiefs 62

Mark Stevens at the Twickenham Stoop

This was capital punishment in it’s harshest form.

Rob Baxter’s side handed out arguably one of their finest displays in the Aviva Premiership to book themselves a first-ever semi-final in the end of season play-offs.

England star Jack Nowell led the way in a ten-try hammering of Harlequins, who were looking to give departing Director of Rugby, Conor O’Shea, the perfect send off before he heads for pastures new.

Instead, the Irishman could only watch on as Devon’s finest ran amok at the Twickenham Stoop. Nowell was crowned man of the match for his try-scoring exploits, but any of the other 22 Exeter players on show could have put their hand up to collect the bubbly at the end.

James Short claimed a brace of his own, while there were further scores for Dave Ewers, Phil Dollman, Will Chudley, Henry Slade and Julian Salvi.

The rest of the damage was inflicted by fly-half Gareth Steenson, who crowned himself Golden Boot winner with six conversions on the day.

In reply, Harlequins countered with converted tries from Danny Care, Kyle Sinckler and Winston Stanley, but it was scant reward on an afternoon when the Chiefs ruled the roost.

With plenty on offer for both sides in this final fixture of the scheduled season, it was Harlequins who made the early inroads, setting off at quite at canter in the opening exchanges. Using their bulky forwards to power deep inside the Exeter 22, they used the platform to work the ball out back to Marland Yarde, who was downed by a high tackle from Damian Welch.

It gifted the prolific Evans - back in the starting XV following a broken leg - an early shot at goal, which the former All Blacks star immediately took advantage of with a straight-forward penalty from 25 metres out.

Home cheers proved short-lived, however, as back roared Baxter’s side with two tries in as many minutes.

Winger Short was the first to cross, finishing off in the left-hand corner after the Chiefs had worked their way through a string of attacking phases, this after England star Nowell had initially returned a deep punt from the hosts back with one of his trademark mazy runs.

No sooner had the Travelling Tribe sat down from celebrating Short’s opener when they were back on their feet once again, this time rejoicing as Nowell squirmed his way over in the right corner, finishing off clever approach play from Henry Slade and Phil Dollman.

It was the dream start for the Chiefs in the heat of the nation’s capital, but things would get even better for the visitors as they reached the midway point of the first half.

Having set up camp deep inside the Harlequins 22 from a penalty kicked to the corner, the Devonians used the resultant line-out to crash the ball up through Sam Hill, before then working the ball around the corner through a plethora of hands to the imposing Ewers, who powered his way over the whitewash for the score, converted this time by the boot of Steenson.

The Chiefs had further chances to add to their tally as the half drew towards a close, but stubborn home defending and the occasional wrong option thwarted their hopes of adding to the scoreline.

Instead, it was Harlequins who finished the half on a high note, claiming their opening try of the game with the very last play of the half. Having turned over the Chiefs with a penalty inside their own 22, they kicked downfield, worked the line-out back in field to Yarde, whose clever link-up with full-back Mike Brown saw the latter feed Care, who was able to dart under the posts for the converted score.

HALF TIME HARLEQUINS 10 EXETER CHIEFS 17

Any hopes Care’s score might trigger some sort of home revival were doused within four minutes of the restart by the Chiefs, who claimed their bonus point score with their first meaningful attack of the half.

A line-out move five metres from the home line failed to bring rewards, but when the Chiefs cut back inside - using Sam Hill as the battering ram - it created the space for the ball to be fed to Slade, whose laser-guided pass off his left hand found Nowell wide on the right.

Still with a bit of work to do, the Cornishman’s fancy footwork saw him evade a potential captor, freeing him to race in unopposed for the score, which Steenson was unable to convert from wide on the right flank.

It was just what the doctor ordered for the Chiefs, who just minutes later were inflicting more misery on the Londoners. Soaking up a period of home pressure, a superb turnover from Mitch Lees on halfway allowed Exeter time and space out wide, releasing Waldrom on the charge.

As the No.8 strode his way down field at pace, he drew in the cover to feed Short on his left shoulder. And, just as he did in the first half, the winger made no mistake with a crisp finish.

Steenson slotted the extras to that score and Exeter’s sixth try, which arrived just two minutes later through the impressive Nowell. Capitalising on a loose home line-out, Luke Cowan-Dickie picked off the throw at the back, drove forward before Chudley flung a delightful pass to the Exeter winger.

From the restart there was a momentary response of sorts from Quins’, prop Sinckler charging through the middle after he shook off a tackle from Steenson to score the home side’s second of the afternoon.

However, the Chiefs countered in an instance at the other end, Chudley again the provider as his simple pop pass released Dollman, who was able to scorch over the line with ease.

As O’Shea’s side continued to melt away in the heat of battle, so the Chiefs continued to pile on the misery.

The lively Chudley was next to cross, sniping over from close range, then Slade got in on the act as he ghosted his way down the right touchline to make it 55-17 with ten minutes still to play.

Again, Harlequins sparked into life when Stanley was able to cross following strong work from Chris Robshaw, but straight from the resultant kick-off, Horstmann did well when the ball was knocked back and his pass released Salvi to race over for his second try in Exeter colours.

In a spirited last stand from the home side, they pressed hard during the dying embers of the contest to try and salvage a semblance of pride, but the Chiefs were having none of it, denying them with a stubbornness that will send shockwaves up and down the country.

As the Tribe celebrated alongside the players at the final whistle, now it’s time to rest up and prepare for a fourth instalment with the visiting Wasps on May 21st.

Harlequins: M Brown; M Yarde, W Stanley, J Roberts (J Marchant 68), R Chisholm; N Evans (B Botica 51), D Care (capt, K Dickson 62), M Lambert (O Evans 64), D Ward (R Buchanan 54), W Collier (K Sinckler 49); G Merrick, C Matthews (S Twomey 49); C Robshaw, J Clifford, N Easter (M Luamanu  61).

Tries - Care, Sinckler, Stanley; Conversions - Evans, Botica (2); Penalty - Evans

Chiefs: P Dollman; J Nowell (O Woodburn 54), H Slade (D Lewis 58-61), S Hill (I Whitten 51), J Short; G Steenson, W Chudley (D Lewis 72); A Hepburn (B Moon 51), J Yeandle (capt, L Cowan-Dickie 51, J Yeandle 72), H Williams (C Rimmer 55); M Lees (K Horstmann 66), D Welch (G Parling 53); D Ewers, J Salvi, T Waldrom (K Horstmann 17-24).

Tries - Short (2), Nowell (3), Ewers, Dollman, Chudley, Slade, Salvi; Conversions - Steenson (6)

Referee: W Barnes