Harlequins 17 Chiefs 41
Harlequins 17
Exeter Chiefs 41
Mark Stevens at The Stoop
Challenged by Director of Rugby Rob Baxter to build up a head of steam ahead of their upcoming Aviva Premiership wrapped up the regular season with an emphatic 41-17 win at Harlequins.
Exeter Chiefs’ position at the summit of England’s top league was already unassailable ahead of kick-off and they will tackle Newcastle Falcons at Sandy Park in the semi-final in a fortnight with momentum behind them.
Six tries were amassed by Devon’s finest against a side that collapsed in the final 10 minutes. The pick of them was a dazzling touchdown finished by the outstanding Joe Simmonds, while flanker Dave Dennis crossed twice and there were also touchdowns for Dave Ewers, Tom Hendrickson and Alec Hepburn.
Running out for the final time in the regular Premiership season, Baxter made a number of changes to his starting line-up for their trip to the capital.In the pack, Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill and Dennis were all handed starts, while behind the inclusion of Phil Dollman and Olly Woodburn meant there was also a new role for Jack Nowell in the centre.
Harlequins, winless in their last four top flight encounters, made three changes from their side that lost to Worcester the week previous. Two of those came in the centre where Alofa Aofa and James Lang came in for the injured Jamie Roberts and Joe Marchant, the other saw Tim Visser given a start on the left wing.
On a glorious May afternoon, it was the hosts who made a red-hot start, scorching out of the traps to open the scoring inside four minutes. Heavy pressure from the Londoners saw them set up camp deep in the Exeter half from the kick-off, before they finally worked the opening for young fly-half Marcus Smith to jink his way through the Chiefs backline for the try, which he was also able to convert.
Hardly the start the Chiefs would have envisaged, Baxter’s side quickly regrouped and they levelled inside ten minutes. Two penalties allowed them to gain vital territory deep inside the Quins 22. Although an initial thrust was held up on the line, the visitors recycled another opportunity, creating the opening for Ewers to bulldoze his way past Danny Care and Charlie Matthews for the score.
Referee Christophe Ridley was unsure of the legality of the score, but after consultation with TMO Graham Hughes, the score was awarded and Simmonds did the rest with the resultant conversion.
Harlequins looked for an instant counter as England international Danny Care sped clear off a ruck, but Woodburn was able to cover the danger and the charge was quickly snuffed out as his team-mates came to aid his defensive duties.
Threat averted, it was the Chiefs who got back on the offensive moments later and with it came a second try.Simmonds, Dollman and Woodburn were all involved in the approach, before the ball was fed inside to the hulking frame of Ewers who, on an arcing run, drew in the cover before offloading to Dennis for the score.
Smith momentarily cut the deficit with a routine penalty after Jonny Hill had been penalised for not rolling away, before the Chiefs hit their hosts with a deadly double to secure the try bonus point before the break.
The first of those scores came when White and Simmonds linked off a scrum, the latter fed Sam Hill, who despite being held just short of the line, created the platform from which the Chiefs were able to rumble Dennis over for his second of the afternoon.
Simmonds slotted the extras to that score and Exeter’s sublime fourth - of which he was the eventual beneficiary. Cordero led the charge with a sparkling run that saw him scythe through the home midfield, after which White and Ewers, who was outstanding throughout, plus Woodburn, provided the pace to release the young Chiefs fly-half to score.
Seemingly in control as the half drew to a close, Harlequins gave themselves a lifeline back into the contest when - with the final play of the half - they went wide off a scrum, working the ball to Mat Luamanu, who offered the opening for full-back Mike Brown to cross by the sticks.Smith converted to leave just seven points in at the turn.
HALF TIME HARLEQUINS 17 EXETER CHIEFS 24
Warned of the threat just before the break, the Chiefs re-emerged looking for a fast start and they almost got it as a slick early attack released Woodburn down the left flank.However, scramble defence from Quins saw them somehow save the day just metres from their own line.
At the other end, Harlequins looked to cause their own mayhem in the Chiefs half, but try as they may, they would get to within strike range, only to either fluff their lines, or be halted by some stubborn home resistance.
As players on both sides started to wilt in the baking afternoon sun, fresh faces from the sidelines were introduced into the fray in a bid to re-energise the on-field proceedings.
And having soaked up the best Harlequins had to offer, it was the turn of the Chiefs to flex their muscles in the final quarter.
Steenson’s penalty signalled the start of Exeter’s late flurry, the Irishman plundering a 35-metre penalty after Stan South was pulled up for a high tackle on Jack Yeandle as he looked to charge through the middle.
Two scores clear once again, now was the time for the champions to showcase their worth. A high tackle by Brown on Dollman as he looked to break gifted the visitors a penalty, that was punted to the corner. Given the perfect launchpad, the forward set up the maul, the fruits of which resulted in a maiden Premiership score for Hendrickson.
Not a bad first touch for the young centre, whose stock continues to rise rapidly as the season progresses.
The Chiefs, however, were far from finished and having seen Steenson stroke over the conversion, they were back celebrating again two minutes from time as England prop Hepburn got his name on the scoresheet, burrowing his way over from another close-range, pick-and-go.
Steenson’s conversion sent the Travelling Tribe into party mode on the terraces. Now, that same group will be hoping they’ll be doing similar in TW1 in a few weeks’ time again.
First things first, the small matter of overcoming Newcastle Falcons in the semi-final. That in itself is no easy task, but expect Sandy Park to be rocking when the two rivals go head to head on the 19th.
Harlequins: M Brown; C Walker (R Chisholm 73), A Alofa (H Cheeseman 56), J Lang, T Visser; M Smith, D Care (D Lewis 73); J Marler (M Lambert 65), D Ward (capt, E Elia 60), K Sinckler (P Swainston 60); G Merrick, C Matthews (S South 54); C Robshaw, L Wallace, M Luamanu (A White 70).
Tries - Smith, Brown; Conversions - Smith (2); Penalty - Smith
Chiefs: P Dollman (T Hendrickson 71); S Cordero, J Nowell, S Hill, O Woodburn; J Simmonds (G Steenson 56), N White (S Townsend 55); B Moon (A Hepburn 52), L Cowan-Dickie (J Yeandle 52), T Francis (G Holmes 52); M Lees, J Hill (S Skinner 55); D Ewers, D Dennis (capt, M Kvesic 59), T Waldrom.
Tries - Ewers, Dennis (2), J Simmonds, Hendrickson, Hepburn; Conversions - J Simmonds (2), Steenson (2); Penalty - Steenson
Referee: C Ridley
Attendance: 12,384