Player Ratings: Wasps v Exeter
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Wasps
1. Matt Mullen – 7/10
Struggled in the scrum early on against an impressive Chiefs front row. Struggled to make an impact elsewhere.
2. Tommy Taylor – 8/10
Threw accurately in the line out with minimal errors, was impressive in open play, ran aggressively and disrupted well producing several crucial turnovers.
3. Phil Swainston – 6/10
Was unlucky to exit the game early on through injury but struggled under pressure at scrum time.
4. Joe Launchbury – 7/10
Strong running in the loose and a few impressive offloads from contact. Was effective around the park with his work rate as strong as ever.
5. Matt Symons – 6/10
The second row was substituted fairly early on in the second half and didn’t contribute enough to proceedings to warrant a high rating. He didn’t make any major mistakes either so all in all it was an average performance from the Englishman.
6. James Haskell – 6/10
A quiet afternoon by his standards with a few handling errors tarnishing his overall performance.
7. Thomas Young – 7/10
The newly called up Welsh international carried well in broken field. He also won a couple of magnificent turnovers on the deck which created crucial counter-attacking opportunities for Wasps’ dangerous backs.
8. Nathan Hughes – 7/10
Had an outstanding first half, making some bone-crunching hits and some menacing carries. Discipline was questionable at times and gave away some needless penalties at crucial times.
9. Dan Robson - 6/10
Solid afternoon from the scrum-half. Maintained an impressive tempo throughout, passed accurately and played some lovely box kicks. Did extremely well to set up Gopperth’s try just before half time.
10. Danny Cipriani – 6/10
Quiet game for the out-half. Did all the basics well but failed to make any real impact on the game and was outplayed by his opposite number for large spells of the game.
11. Josh Bassett – 6/10
Reasonably quiet afternoon for last week’s hero. Was unable to get many opportunities to run with ball in hand and as a result failed to make a positive impact in an attacking sense. However, he stood up defensively and made his tackles when required.
12. Jimmy Gopperth – 8/10
Yet another fantastic performance from the out-half turned centre. His kicking, both out of hand and from the tee were exemplary. He posed a constant threat with ball in hand and did exceptionally well to finish off an incredible team try on the stroke of half-time.
13. Elliot Daly – 8/10
One of the standout performers in an overall excellent Wasps backline. His combination of pace, power and mesmerising footwork had the Exeter defenders at sixes and sevens. His relentless attacking efforts were rewarded early in the second half when he pounced on a Christian Wade kick to touch down for a try.
14. Christian Wade – 7/10
Went long periods of the game without getting any opportunities with ball in hand however when the opportunities presented themselves he capitalised. Cased the Exeter defenders a lot of problems with his pace and played a vital role in Elliot Daly’s try in the second half.
15. Willie Le Roux – 7/10
Good afternoon’s work for the full-back. Consistent under the high ball, kicked well at times and made some crucial tackles. Looked dangerous with ball in hand and played some beautiful offloads in tight spaces to set his teammates into space.
Honourable mentions from the bench:
16. Ashley Johnson - (65') 7/10
Brought an abundance of energy when introduced in the second half. Made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown, constantly disrupting the tempo of Exeter's play. Carried impressively and made some important defensive hits when required.
18. Marty Moore – (27’) 6/10
Did reasonably well at scrum time when called upon from the bench earlier than expected. Got through a solid amount of work at the breakdown and made some big hits defensively.
21. Joe Simpson – (58’) 7/10
Injected great tempo into the Wasps attack when called upon in the second half. Put in a massive shift defensively and prevented a certain Exeter try with a vital interception in the dying minutes of the game.
Exeter Chiefs
1. Ben Moon – 6/10
Scrummaged well early on, looked a little under pressure as the game wore on.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie – 7/10
Lineout throwing was on point as usual. Not as active in the loose as he normally is. Made a crucial steal 5m from his own try-line to prevent Wasps from getting another five-pointer.
3. Harry Williams – 7/10
Won a couple of early penalties at the scrum. Made some savage hits when Exeter were defending their line.
4. Dave Dennis – 5/10
The former Wallaby was quiet all day and was substituted as a result.
5. Geoff Parling – 9/10
The lineout functioned well and the second row had high work rate in the loose throughout the game. He made a couple of smashing tackles which put Wasps on the back foot and won turnovers for his side.
6. Kai Horstmann – 6/10
Tackled like his life depended on it in the first half. Looked a bit fatigued in the second period and was substituted early as a result.
7. Don Armand – 8/10
Carried well, staying out on the wing, trying to create mismatches and getting over the gain line every time he got on the ball. He got his hands free and got away offloads which created space out wide time and time again. He was awarded the MOTM award for his efforts which capped off a season to remember for the openside.
8. Thomas Waldrom – 7/10
The human battering ram played his role to perfection. Lining up deep to the line in defence, collecting kicks and running them back with intent to run someone over. He looked to crumble under pressure in the final 10 minutes when he lost the ball at the back of the scrum 5m from the Wasps line.
9. Stuart Townsend – 6/10
Was noticeably nervous in the opening quarter as would be expected in his first Premiership final. Kicked the ball out on the full and fumbled it at the ruck as he looked under pressure. However, he improved after that, working hard to sweep in behind in defence and threatening around the ruck in attack.
10. Gareth Steenson – 9/10
Played the captains role superbly, kicking perfectly out of hand and off the tee. He was under pressure from Nathan Hughes all day and copped a couple of big hits from the back-rower. That didn’t stop him running at the defence at great pace and making a couple of breaks on the counter attack. He didn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities either, using himself as a speed bump to slow down Wasps’ big ball carriers.
11. Olly Woodburn – 8/10
Came in looking for work off his wing. Made a number of breaks down the outside throughout the game. His kick chase was particularly impressive in the second half. He looked even more dangerous late in the 2nd half and in extra time as other players tired.
12. Ollie Devoto – 7/10
Struggled to get over the gain line early on due to Wasps’ blitz defence. He carried at pace, looking to use his bulk to barge over defenders. It paid off for him in the first half when he went through to set up Dollman’s try after an out-the-back play.
13. Ian Whitten – 8/10
Had the hard task of containing his opposite number and Lion, Elliot Daly today and he struggled to deal with the centre’s pace at times. However he grew into the game, forcing errors from the Wasps backs. Took the ball hard to the line and made a couple of breaks for his outside backs as a result. Was a key player in Exeter’s defence all day. His handling could’ve been a bit better on occasions.
14. Jack Nowell – 8/10
Was given one opportunity to score in the opening period and took it with both arms. He sprinted away to score in the corner after a lovely set piece play. He was also pivotal to Exeter’s defence, as he made a couple of crucial cover tackles which prevented Wasps from getting some breakaway tries. Looked to be one of the only players on the pitch that was unfazed by extra time, causing real problems for Wasps’ defence.
15. Phil Dollman – 6/10
Looked nervous at the beginning of the game, throwing a couple of shaky passes. Finished his try expertly after a good run and offload from Devoto.
Honourable mention from the bench:
17. Carl Rimmer – (51') 7/10
Very energetic off the bench, making a number of strong carries and good tackles. The Exeter scrum was also just as effective when they changed their front-row and the loosehead was a key part of that trio.
21. Will Chudley – (51') 8/10
Upped the tempo of the game with great effect. Threatened himself as well as clearing the ball from the ruck with great pace.
22. Henry Slade – (46') 6/10
Entered the fray early in the second half after an injury to Phil Dollman. His first action was to slice a kick out over the in-goal area. Improved significantly after that, distributing and carrying well. Did lose possession a bit easily to Joe Simpson in the 2nd period of extra time.
