Chiefs on warpath as Simmonds sizzles
EXETER Chiefs, with Sam Simmonds leading the charge in trademark fashion, poured on the pressure after the break to squeeze past a Wasps side that tackled themselves to a standstill chasing victory.
The home side made 251 tackles as they absorbed wave upon wave of Chiefs pressure, especially in the second half, and although a losing bonus point was their only reward their new found mettle augers well after last season’s indifferent showing.
With big name players returning, the graph is very much upwards.
Chiefs, pretty much fully booted and suited, were in front for most of the game save for a lax period leading into halftime but Wasps proved a tough nut to crack.
Exeter’s usual close quarters precision isn’t quite there yet but all other departments are working well and Simmonds, who will have clocked the big write ups Alex Dombrandt has been receiving, played like a man intent on making a point. Eddie Jones will announce his short squad for the Autumn Internationals tomorrow.
Meanwhile this was a game to enjoy, not perfect by any means but packed with good rugby. It was two Jimmy Gopperth penalties plays one from Henry Slade – with Josh Basset in the bin for a high tackle on Tom Hendrickson – when it exploded into action.
Exeter pounced for the first well-worked try with slick passing and movement from Jack Maunder, Richard Capstick, Dave Ewers and Maunder again before Slade sprinted over.
Moments later it started to look ominous for Wasps when uncapped Argentinian Fecundo Cordero, recently called up for the Pumas Autumn Internationals, hit the turbos and left Marcus Watson in his wake for a second try – and Watson is no slouch himself. Indeed after the break he levelled things up by defeating Cordero to a touchdown to prevent a try from the Chiefs wing.
Exeter needed to score next but they wanted tries not penalties and turned down a couple of simple shots at goal to go for the corner. The second time resulted in a text book lineout rumble seeing Dan Frost projected over the line for a well-deserved score. The former Cornish Pirate had been an energetic and committed presence throughout proceedings.
The Wasps crowd were in full voice by now and on their feet again just before half-time when their side again opted for the corner and again produced another picture perfect rolling maul to fashion a scorer for Thomas Young, a thing of beauty for those of us who enjoy such scores. With Jimmy Gopperth adding the extras to both tries Wasps ran down the tunnel five points to the good.
It was all so different after the break though as the Exeter machine went to work. Remarkably Wasps resisted almost 18 minutes of continuous pressure – despite Frost being sinbinned after a series of penalties – to go up field and claim another three points through Gopperth but the writing was on the wall.
First MOM Simmonds picked up one hand from the base of a scrum five and with dummy runners down the blindside attracting defenders, smashed his way through Nazim Carr, Goppeth and Watson to score a converted try.
And finally Jonny Hill, who had enjoyed a mixed day but never stopped grafting, scored the bonus try lurking on the right wing and touching down with a winger’s diving panache. A well-deserved victory for an Exeter side beginning to engage top gear.