Young’s proven performers facing Chiefs on mighty run
WASPS take on Exeter at Twickenham today in a final where neither side starts as favourites.
They finished the 22-game league season with an identical 84 points, meaning Dai Young’s team shaded the top spot based on games won.
Their two head-to-heads ended in a come-from-behind 25-20 home win for Wasps on the opening day of the season, and a 35-all draw following Jonny Hill’s 46th-minute red card at Sandy Park.
Both clubs won their semi-finals in the dying seconds, and their record over their last six meetings (excluding the Anglo-Welsh Cup) is Exeter 3 Wasps 2, with one game drawn.
With the bookies unsure of the outcome, we set out to find the winner using recent history and statistics.
The big match temperament...
This is Wasps’ fifth appearance in the Aviva Premiership final, and they have won on all four previous occasions in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008.
The black-and golds have won their last ten finals in all tournaments since Saracens beat them at Twickenham in the 1998 Tetley’s Bitter Cup.
This is Exeter’s second successive Aviva Premiership Final, after going down 28-20 to Saracens last year.
The Chiefs have lost their last three final appearances in all tournaments since beating Northampton Saints 15-8 in the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup at Sandy Park in 2014.
Exeter have visited Twickenham on six previous occasions and have yet to record a victory. Wasps’ 39-3 victory over Gloucester in the 2003 final is the biggest winning margin since English rugby adopted the play-off format. That game also included the fastest ever final try, touched down by Wasps’ England World Cup winner Josh Lewsey after just 67 seconds. On a day when only three points were scored before half-time, the black-and-golds’ 10-6 win over Bath in 2004 is the lowest final points aggregate. Then Wasps full back Mark van Gisbergen’s 26 points against Leicester in the 2005 final remains an individual record.
Is form temporary?
Wasps’ only defeat in their last eight Premiership fixtures was 32-13 at Harlequins in round 21 on April 28. Exeter are unbeaten in their last 16 top flight outings; another victory would tie Leicester’s all-time record in the competition set between 1999 and 2000.
The squads
Wasps have used 42 players in this season’s Premiership, while 44 have taken the field for the Chiefs.
Christian Wade (1,703) played the most minutes for Dai Young’s team, while Ollie Woodburn spent 1,521 minutes on the field for Exeter.
Including appearances from the bench, 11 Wasps have appeared 19 or more times in their 23 matches to date – the corresponding number for the Chiefs was also 11.
Wasps’ most frequently used replacement was scrum half Joe Simpson, who was required to leave the dug-out 11 times. Former Earlsdon, Nuneaton and Coventry prop Carl Rimmer (13 times) had the same dubious honour for Exeter.
The points machines
The Premiership’s leading scorer and kicker, Jimmy Gopperth, accumulated 277 points for Wasps.
He was successful with 98 of his 124 shots at goal, a success rate of 79.03 per cent, the ninth best of those Premiership kickers who used the kicking tee on more than 30 occasions.
Exeter’s leading scorer Gareth Steenson kicked 170 points. This com- prised 72 successful kicks from 86 attempts - an 83.72 per cent strike rate - which placed him third in the top flight.
Wasps’ leading try-scorer, with a Premiership best 17, was Christian Wade. One more touchdown today will break Dominic Chapman’s 20-year-old record.
Former Wasp James Short leads the way for Exeter with 11 tries.
Possession not territory?
Wasps have scored 33 tries from inside their own half this season, while Exeter have struck 24 times from distance.
By contrast, the Chiefs have 40 scores which began life in their opponents’ 22, from where Wasps have struck only 24 times. In total, Wasps have 91 tries to the Chiefs 88.
The winning-most player
Matt Mullan and Joe Simpson were part of Wasps wins on 18 occasions during the season. Ben Moon was part of 16 Exeter wins.
Leadership qualities?
Wasps have been captained by five different players during their 23 games to date. Club captain Joe Launchbury’s England duties restricted him to nine appearances at the helm, Matt Mullan (8), Ashley Johnson (3), James Gaskell (2) and Jimmy Gopperth (1) also skippered Dai Young’s team.
Four players captained Exeter during the season – Gareth Steenson (14), Jack Yeandle and Don Armand (4 each) and Geoff Parling once.
Missing home comforts?
Exeter’s Sandy Park had replaced Leicester’s Welford Road in the minds of many as the Premiership’s leading graveyard for visiting teams.
However, with Wasps’ 19-match unbeaten league run at the Ricoh, which stretches back to December 2015, places them fourth on the alltime list... albeit some way behind the Tigers’ 52-match stretch between 1998 and 2002.
So which team misses home most? Wasps have picked up 26 points on the road this year, while Exeter have 37.
Exeter have visited Twickenham on six previous occasions and have yet to record a victory