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Aviva Premiership final preview: Wasps vs Chiefs, Gopperth vs Steenson

Gopperth / Steenson (Photos: Getty Images)

The Premiership season draws to a close this Saturday as Exeter take on Wasps in the showpiece final at Twickenham. So what to expect?

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The biggest surprise about the Aviva Premiership final isn’t so much the two teams playing in it but the one team that isn’t. Saracens looked more nailed on than Jesus on Good Friday to make the final, but instead suffered a reverse vs Exeter in the last minute of an epic semifinal that saw the Devon club reach their second final in a row. Handily for the Chiefs, they have already put away the team that beat them in the final last year and Saracens go into the summer with a whole new software rebuild in their central performance computer required.

In the other semi, Wasps overcame a spirited Leicester side, brought closer together in their response to the tragic news about club captain Tom Youngs’ wife to set up the clash between the teams that finished top two in the league on what promises to be the hottest day of the year in London.

Wasps have led the Aviva Premiership from the front for most of the back end of the season. They often look irresistible; their backline is packed full of talent and under coach Dai Young they are encouraged to play an attacking brand of rugby. But there has also been a brittle nature to them in the past month or so. They have been conceding plenty – even the Bristol attack put 21 past them last month – and struggling to put games to bed. On top of this their usually formidable attacking game has seemingly been replaced by a succession of handling errors and poor decision-making; in the semifinal, their lineout resembled a drunk rowing team taking turns to head-butt a pub ceiling.

Exeter, meanwhile, have been winning for a very long time, almost in spite of themselves. Their ability to score points only just outweighs their capacity to concede them – in their past five matches their average score is 33-22. But what these scorelines demonstrate is how Exeter’s game has evolved this season from the previously forward-dominated style to a more mixed, all-park attack. If nothing else, Exeter games are worth a watch just to gaze upon the litany of mesmerizingly awful haircuts that permeate their team.

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Exeter’s forwards were towering in all aspects against Saracens, with the likes of Don Armand and Geoff Parling leading the way.  This pack will come up against a talented but smaller and less destructive Wasps eight featuring a back row low on form and the already mentioned problematic lineout. Expect the Exeter men to dominate in that area.

Once it gets behind it is difficult to predict what will happen. Plenty of tries is a certainty with the likes of Dan Robson, Elliot Daly, Kurtley Beale, Danny Cipriani, Jimmy Gopperth and Christian Wade lining up for Wasps and the less heralded but equally effective Gareth Steenson, Olly Devoto, Jack Nowell, James Short and the criminally underrated fullback, Phil Dollman, for Exeter.

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If recent Wasps form is a measure expect them to waste a significant amount of possession but still score tries, while Exeter will throw several interceptions but still manage to score more than 30 points. The last time these two played each other it finished in a 35-35 draw so it is not fanciful to say there will be plenty for the crowd to cheer about on either side during the 80 final minutes of the season.

It may ultimately become a kicking competition, and in a kick-for-kick shootout Gopperth probably beats Steenson – but Exeter’s pack power suggests they could win more penalties and get a few more shots.


Follow the Aviva Premiership final between Wasps and Exeter Chiefs from anywhere with live commentary as well as up to the minute statistics on anything and everything. It’s the ultimate accompaniment to the RugbyPass live streaming service as well as a stand-alone realtime stats powerhouse that’s available free worldwide.

Go to Wasps v Exeter Chiefs Live Match Centre

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f
fl 51 minutes ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

176 Go to comments
J
JW 5 hours ago
French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

9 Go to comments
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