Exeter put 40 points on Wasps at the Ricoh
BY THE time Don Armand drilled over for Exeter’s sixth try in the last minute of this clash at the Ricoh, Wasps had been taught a lesson in control and composure.
The Devon side were streets ahead in those departments, as well as in their mastery of a driving maul which inflicted three of their tries, including Armand’s. This ensured that they travelled back to the south-west with a bonus point win worth five points whereas Wasps had to make do with a single point for scoring four tries.
The Chiefs have turned their line-out drive into a mobile siege-machine which can shift angle to attack any chink in the opposition’s maul defence, and the Wasps pack had too many for comfort. This allowed Sam Simmonds to step into Thomas Waldrom’s slot at the back to score two tries – taking his tally to a remarkable 19 in 19 games.
Exeter are a side which know their strengths and usually manage to be clinical when it matters, whereas Wasps are a side that want to play fast and foot-loose but are taking too long to learn that there are times, especially in tight games like this, when in your own half pragmatism must rule.
When they were found wanting in that department Henry Slade was on hand to dish out the punishment with a two-try haul. The England centre made the most of a Wasps defensive lapse by slicing between Juan De Jongh and Brad Shields to score his first and then bagged a match-turning second after the interval with a 70m intercept to give Exeter a 35-24 lead.
Despite Wasps responding with a Dan Robson try after a Tom Cruse surge to trim the arrears to 35-31 with 12 minutes remaining, the home side were too frenetic to make their remaining chances count.
This match was never short of high-octane entertainment and it started with Elliot Daly, in a rare start for Wasps at full back, scoring a spectacular opening try after two minutes. When Daly’s dummy was bought by Ollie Devoto he sliced through before cuttinginside Simmonds in a 40 metre burst to the line.
The Chiefs response was immediate with Raphael Cordero finishing strongly after being put away by Phil Dollman, with Gareth Steenson converting to level it. Another try exchange occured, with Josh Bassett scoring from Searle’s grubber and Simmonds burrowing over made it 1414, before Slade escaped to make it 21-14.
A Searle penalty cut the deficit before a Nathan Hughes pick-and-drive try gave Wasps a 24-21 half-time lead. However, with Shields forced off with a cheekbone injury early in the secondhalf the Exeter pack catapulted Simmonds over for his second touchdown, and when Steenson added the extras they led 28-24.
With Slade’s interception try giving the visitors an 11 point cushion Wasps were rattled, and although they ralied after Lima Sopoaga came on to set up Robson’s riposte, Exeter had their measure.
This was demonstrated by the precision with which they closed the account through the tireless Armand, and Wasps will have to digest the lesson quickly if they want to be in the title race.