Exeter reach Aviva Premiership final with 34-23 win over Wasps
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 21/05/16 8:54pm
Exeter reached the Aviva Premiership final for the first time with a thrilling 34-23 victory over Wasps.
They will take on Saracens, who earlier thumped Leicester 44-17, in the final at Twickenham.
The Chiefs only secured Premiership status in 2010, but they are now 80 minutes away from possibly being crowned league champions as Wasps were sunk 34-23 thanks to two penalty tries and touchdowns by centre Ian Whitten and flanker Dave Ewers.
Fly-half Gareth Steenson kicked four conversions and two penalties, while his opposite number Jimmy Gopperth booted 13 points, including conversions of tries from hooker Carlo Festuccia and scrum-half Dan Robson.
And it means that Exeter now stand in the way of Saracens achieving the first domestic and European double by an English club since Wasps 12 years ago.
Saracens will start as red-hot favourites in defence of their Premiership crown - they beat Exeter 36-18 at Allianz Park eight weeks ago - yet the Chiefs are unlikely to show any respect for reputations.
Wasps pushed them to the limit, but Exeter showed enough collective composure when it mattered in stamina-sapping conditions as they sent a capacity Sandy Park crowd of just under 13,000 wild.
Steenson, one of only two survivors in Exeter's starting line-up from the team that clinched Premiership promotion by beating Bristol six years ago, booted an early penalty after Nathan Hughes infringed.
Steenson doubled Exeter's advantage eight minutes later, this time taking advantage of a Wasps scrummaging offence.
But Wasps' response proved an impressive one, as their pack drove relentlessly from an attacking lineout before Festuccia got his hands on the ball and claimed a try.
It proved a brief reprieve for Wasps, though, with Jack Nowell then popping up in midfield and finding Whitten in support, and the centre displayed impressive power to crash over from 15 metres, Steenson converting to make it 13-7.
Back came Wasps though, and they scored again eight minutes before half-time. After strong approach work by George Smith, Hughes and wing Frank Halai ended with Robson darting over from close range, and Gopperth's conversion edged the visitors back in front.
But before the break Festuccia was yellow-carded for pulling down the maul - and a penalty try was awarded that Steenson converted for a 20-14 half-time advantage.
Gopperth opened the second half scoring with a penalty, but Exeter hit back within two minutes with a show of brute strength as Ewers muscled his way over, with Steenson's conversion opening up a 10-point gap.
Another Gopperth penalty made it 27-20, before he struck again 13 minutes from time, ensuring that a tense battle of wits and nerve would be played out to the end.
But Exeter stayed calm, and a second penalty try - this time following a Wasps scrummaging offence - put the Chiefs in dreamland.
