Wasps 13 Chiefs 7
Wasps 13
Exeter Chiefs 7
Mark Stevens at the Ricoh Arena
You have to go back some three years to note the last time Exeter Chiefs lost three Aviva Premiership fixtures on the bounce. However, Rob Baxter’s side have that statistic looming over their heads after they were undone 13-7 by play-off rivals Wasps at the Ricoh Arena.
Marcus Watson’s first half try - converted by Danny Cipriani - and two second half penalties from Jimmy Gopperth proved enough to down the defending champions in an attritional contest which was more for the purist than that of the masterpiece many had predicted pre-match.
The Chiefs, much improved from that of the previous week when they were picked off by Worcester Warriors on home soil, countered with a converted second half try from England international Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Sadly, it was not enough to save the day as the Devonians surrendered their position at the summit of the table for the first time since October.
Having suffered back-to-back defeats against Newcastle Falcons and Worcester, the Chiefs were hoping their trip to the Midlands would provide them with the perfect setting to get their Premiership campaign back on track.
Ahead of kick-off, Baxter’s side were boosted by the return of props Alec Hepburn and Tomas Francis from international duty, while Julian Salvi was brought into a re-jigged back-row. Behind, Will Chudley came in at scrum-half and Ollie Devoto was afforded his first league start since November in the visiting midfield.
Wasps, meanwhile, also had key names back in their ranks, including the prolific Jimmy Gopperth at inside centre, plus winger Marcus Watson and experienced prop Marty Moore, who took on the tight-head role in place of Jake Cooper-Wooley, who dropped to the bench.
Personnel in place, it was the Chiefs who started the contest the brighter, launching a series of attacking waves straight from the kick-off. Cowan-Dickie led the charge, shaking off the attentions of home captain James Gaskell, before feeding the onrushing Lachie Turner.
Still with work to do, the Aussie full-back propelled himself towards the home try-line at a rate of knots, quickly followed by a plethora of Exeter forwards. However, the chasing calvary could not make the territorial gain paid dividends as Don Armand knocked on just inches from touching down.
Having survived Exeter’s opening burst, it was now the turn of Wasps to show their colours in attack - and with their first meaningful venture into the Chiefs 22, they gleaned the game’s opening points when Watson snuck over in the right corner.
Before Cipriani could bang over the testing touchline conversion, referee JP Doyle wanted to check the seriousness of a tackle made by Jonny Hill on home full-back Willie Le Roux in the lead up to the score.
Subsequent views on the big screen, plus a quick conflab with TV match official Sean Doyle, did not make for happy viewing if you were a Chiefs supporter as Hill was duly dispatched to the sin-bin for a ten minute stint by Doyle.
In the absence of the Chiefs lock, Exeter rallied well as a collective. Indeed, they threatened again on 18 minutes when the lively Chudley sniped down the blindside before linking with Turner. Again, the visitors got to within sniffing distance of the home line only to be turned over at the crucial moment.
The Chiefs were certainly showing they were up for the fight, but they received a mighty reprieve when home winger Josh Bassett was denied a potential second try, this on the intervention of the TMO, who had adjudged the final pass to him having been forward.
As the play swung from end-to-end, the two prized fighters continued to slug it out, trading blows which, it has to be said, almost brought reward for the visitors again.Chudley and Cowan-Dickie were again involved in the build-up play, after which Dave Ewers looked to bulldoze his way over the whitewash,
With Wasps defenders splintered everywhere in the aftermath of the flanker’s efforts, somehow at least one of them had done enough to have seemingly held the ball up on the line.
Exeter continued to huff and puff in attack before the break, but the Wasps defensive line was impressive, not only repelling the Chiefs threat, but doing enough to spring the odd counter-attack of their own.
HALF TIME WASPS 7 EXETER CHIEFS 0
Just as they had done in the first period, the Chiefs again started the half on the front foot as they looked to haul themselves back into the match.Devoto, Turner and Argentinian winger Santiago Cordero all made decent enough inroads, but the end product was sadly missing for the frustrated visitors.
Wasps, on the other hand, were equally happy to absorb the pressure and when handed possession of their own were intent on using it to pin their counterparts back deep inside their own half. Robson’s clever grubber kicks in behind were an example of this, as were the quick-thinking actions of both Cipriani and Gopperth.
The home side were pressing hard, however, and when they were held up by the Chiefs on the line, it gifted them the perfect attacking platform just five metres out. Although the Exeter pack did well to stave off the eight-man shove, behind the visiting backs had strayed offside in their pursuit to defend the line, gifting Gopperth an easy three-pointer to extend the home lead.
A horrible knee injury for Wasps replacement Alex Rieder, just six minutes after coming on, halted the game for a lengthy period, but when play resumed it was the Chiefs who looked the stronger.
Boosted by the sin-binning of Ashley Johnson for a high tackle at a ruck, the visitors made the most of their numerical advantage, punting the penalty down field, setting up camp five metres out, before Cowan-Dickie rumbled over from a trademark catch-and-drive for their try, converted by fly-half Gareth Steenson.
Game on once more, the Chiefs had the bit between their teeth as they looked to claw the lead back from their rivals. Again, there was plenty of effort and invention in attack, but a combination of stern home defending and poor execution from Baxter’s charges would prove to be their downfall.
With two minutes remaining, Kiwi centre Gopperth banged over a second successful penalty after Exeter replacement prop Ben Moon had been pulled up for kicking the ball out at a ruck midway inside his own half.
There was, though, still time for the Chiefs to threaten and with one final throw of the dice, they looked to run from deep. Sam Hill’ arcing run saw him create time and space, but as he galloped down field, so the space to work in became non-existence. Although the centre did his best to cut back inside, hopefully in an attempt to set-up one last raid, two home defenders raced across to barge him into touch.
Out of space, out of time, that was effectively that for the Chiefs, who must now regroup quickly and get their campaign back on track at home to Northampton Saints this Saturday.
Wasps: W Le Roux; M Watson (C Wade 53), G Lovobalavu (B Macken 20-28), J Gopperth, J Bassett; D Cipriani (B Macken 49), D Robson; S McIntyre (M Mullan 28-37, 53), T Cruse, M Moore (J Cooper-Wooley 53; J Gaskell (capt), K Myall (W Rowlands 67); J Willis (A Rieder 51, A Johnson 57), T Young, G Thompson. Replacement (not used): J Simpson
Try - Watson; Conversion - Cipriani; Penalties - Gopperth (2)
Yellow Card: Johnson
Chiefs: L Turner; S Cordero, O Devoto, S Hill, O Woodburn (I Whitten 56); G Steenson (capt), W Chudley (S Townsend 61); A Hepburn (B Moon 49), L Cowan-Dickie (J Innard 64), T Francis (G Holmes 49); M Lees, J Hill (S Skinner 53); D Ewers (T Waldrom 53), J Salvi, D Armand. Replacements (not used): J Simmonds.
Try - Cowan-Dickie; Conversion - Steenson
Yellow Card: J Hill
Referee: JP Doyle
Attendance: 16,124