WASPS
Willie Le Roux, full-back, 7/10 Had shown signs of nerves recently but took his first high ball comfortably and did well to stop Woodburn in full flow. The most accomplished of Wasps’ back three on the day.
Christian Wade, wing, 6/10 Barely got his hands on the ball in the first half – though lively when he did – and given a sniff of space he set up Daly’s score. No evidence of defensive deficiencies here.
Elliot Daly, centre, 6/10 Wasps’s solitary Lion was stepped by Devoto for Exeter’s second try. Did his best to make something happen but perhaps tried a little too hard until Wade’s kick ahead fell perfectly for him.
Jimmy Gopperth, centre, 7/10 The player of the season but left red-faced when he found himself in 14 different minds and dropped the ball. Good support line for try though and was hugely influential in the second half.
Josh Bassett, wing, 6/10 Handling was not great but was unfortunate that Daly’s grubber would not sit for him, which proved to be the story of his afternoon. Not out of place though in this star-studded backline.
Danny Cipriani, fly-half, 7/10 A stuttering start but showed his class with a delayed pass in the buildup to Gopperth’s try. Wasps needed a score at that point and he delivered. Much more composed after the break.
Dan Robson, scrum-half, 7/10 A bit jittery, as seen with one pass straight to Williams, but was on hand to put Gopperth away for Wasps’s first try. Improved as his side realised that patience can be a virtue.
Matt Mullan, prop, 5/10 A couple of carries but he was fighting an uphill battle against the mighty Chiefs’ scrum. Was ready and willing to replace Moore in extra time – but conceded the crucial penalty in the end.
Tommy Taylor, hooker, 8/10 Missed out against Leicester but deserved his recall. Constantly put his head where it hurts and made 10 tackles in the first half alone. Point certainly proved to the watching Eddie Jones.
Phil Swainston, prop, 5/10 Outgunned at scrum time by Moon – but not the first to endure such a fate this season – and was off before half-time with a head injury. Not the best way to end his Wasps career.
Joe Launchbury, lock, captain, 8/10 Does not lead with Churchillian prose but would fight them on the beaches, or wherever he was asked. No surprise that he was the top tackler. Simply did not deserve to be on the losing side.
Matt Symons, lock, 6/10 Quietly goes about his business while Launchbury gets through his usual super-human amount of work. All in all he has proved a shrewd acquisition for Wasps.
James Haskell, flanker, 7/10 A couple of dreadful early knock-ons but tried his hardest to make up for it by flying into his tackles. Once he had gathered himself, so Wasps followed which shows how much of a leader he is in this side.
Thomas Young, flanker, 5/10 Caught out by Nowell for the opening try. He was superb in last season’s European quarter-final between these two sides but could find hardly any room to gallop in.
Nathan Hughes, No8, 9/10 A remarkable showing. Thumped anything that moved and had a couple of bulldozing carries – none more impressive than in the bulidup to Daly’s try. Gave away the penalty that forced extra time though.
REPLACEMENTS Ashley Johnson 7 (for Taylor 64) Brought added physicality off the bench; Simon McIntyre 7 (Mullan 58) Made his tackles well – and plenty of them; Marty Moore 6 (Swainston 35) In the wars but battled on until extra time; Kearnan Myall 7 (Symons 58) Tackled, tackled and tackled some more; Guy Thompson 6 (Young 64) A crucial turnover in face of immense pressure; Joe Simpson 5 (Robson 58) Kicked more than Robson but less ball to operate with.
EXETER
Phil Dollman, full-back, 6/10 Celebrated his first Wales call-up, at 32, with an excellent finish after Devoto’s break. Made some crucial tackles, too, in particular on Daly, but limped off early in the second half.
Jack Nowell, wing, 8/10 On this form it is hard to see who is ahead of him in the Lions pecking order. Timed his run perfectly for the opening try and covered well in defence. Just doesn’t stop.
Ian Whitten, centre, 6/10 A robust centre. Not many frills but was key in keeping Daly shackled in the first half. A hard runner, he kept the Wasps midfield honest if lacking a bit of penetration.
Ollie Devoto, centre, 7/10 Lovely step and offload to tee up Dollman and he has size on his side for a centre. Not in the initial England squad for Argentina but don’t be surprised to see him summonedon Monday.
Olly Woodburn, wing, 6/10 Loves to come infield off his wing and look for work. Undone by a horrible bounce for Daly’s try and, try as he might, struggled to involve himself in the second half. Busy in extra time, though.
Gareth Steenson, fly-half, captain, 8/10 Stood up well to barrage from Hughes and a well-timed hit on Wade brought some respite just before half-time. Like Gopperth, flawless from the tee – and eventually the hero.
Stuart Townsend, scrum-half, 6/10 An assured performance for someone who began the season on loan at Cornish Pirates, one box kick out on the full aside. Does not mind getting stuck in, either.
Ben Moon, prop, 7/10 One of the Exeter Originals, he caused Swainston all manner of problems at the scrum. Such an effective weapon considering how important attacking lineouts are to the Chiefs.
Luke Cowan-Dickie, hooker, 6/10 Not as conspicuous as in the semi but he relishes the physical stuff and there was plenty of that. Not as eye-catching a performance as his opposite number either but solid enough.
Harry Williams, prop, 7/10 Excelled against Sarries and picked up from where he left off. A classy scrummager but showed up in the loose, too. Could be the rough diamond Eddie Jones is looking for this summer.
Dave Dennis, lock, 5/10 Unheralded in Exeter’s engine room, but even by his understated standards it was a quiet afternoon for the Australian. Replaced on the hour.
Geoff Parling, lock, 9/10 Such lineout nous. Pinched one just before half-time and is so reliable on Exeter’s throw. Will be missed by the Chiefs and indeed the Premiership. So spirited throughout. Colossal.
Kai Horstmann, flanker, 7/10 Another of Exeter’s unsung heroes, particularly in defence when Wasps were on top at the start of the second half. Made 14 tackles in his 53 minutes on the pitch.
Don Armand, flanker, 8/10 The form forward in the Premiership over the past month or two, he does a bit of everything. Surely Eddie Jones will consider him as Haskell’s replacement in Argentina.
Thomas Waldrom, No8, 6/10 Built up a head of steam on a couple of occasions and kept on coming but was unable to continue his remarkable try-scoring record against Wasps. Just not quite his afternoon.
REPLACEMENTS Jack Yeandle 7 (for Cowan-Dickie 50) Plenty of carries; Carl Rimmer 6 (Moon 50) Rolled up his sleeves and got stuck in; Tomas Francis 7 (Williams 50) Not as dominant as Williams at the scrum, until it mattered; Mitch Lees 6 (Horstmann 53) Showed lovely hands for a man his size; Sam Simmonds 7 (Dennis 60) Got through a huge amount of work; Will Chudley 6 (Townsend 50) Kept things simple, moving the ball quickly; Henry Slade 6 (Dollman 46) Missed another attempted touch-finder but key tackle on Gopperth; Michele Campagnaro 5 (Devoto 76) Coughed up a costly turnover but kept himself busy.
