A fabulous quarter-final ended with a try on the stroke of time and a conversion landed past the 80-minute mark. Charles Piutau with his second try and Jimmy Gopperth with the kick from a difficult angle snatched victory from noble Exeter, and Wasps, the indomitable twice former champions, are into the last four of the Champions Cup. It was the game of the season – the game of many a season.
It was played out on all fronts, forward and behind, with adventure from deep and determination from close-range. It was full of errors but it was also full of skill and subtlety, power and spirit. Everybody played a part but perhaps one area summed it all up.
The battle of the No8s promised to be intriguing and jarring: the 32-year-old Thomas Waldrom, raised in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, four times capped by England thanks to a maternal grandmother born here, against Nathan Hughes, born in Fiji, educated in Auckland and soon eligible on residency grounds for England. Hughes won the opening round, stealing a ball at the breakdown, a theft that disturbed Exeter’s patterns and helped Wasps make a promising start.
The home team did not just show promise, but patiently took points on offer, two penalties by Gopperth. They might have had more, following a clean break by Siale Piutau, but Dan Robson threw a long pass, trying to sail over the last defenders. Instead it came to ground, bobbled and was finally knocked on by Gopperth. It was a miss but would it matter?
Suddenly, by way of a yes, Waldrom was on the move, taking the ball from a lineout won by Don Armand. This usually means Waldrom at the back of a maul, steering the Exeter pack over the line. Not this time; this was Thomas the Tank on the open track, charging at Gopperth. It came to nothing because Bradley Davies, on for Kearnan Myall after just 18 minutes, held up a maul.
It was a warning, none the less, and soon Waldrom was in control of the ball again, this time in his familiar role. Wasps had to make their first counter-push count. They could not and inevitably the beast began to move. Nobody scores more tries from here than Waldrom – he helped himself to a hat-trick here in early December, and he scored again now.
What the No8 does not do so often is gallop in open play. But Davies, a second row in midfield, flipped a pass with his back turned to the Exeter defenders. Waldrom’s nose sensed a chance and he picked off the ball and set off for the still-distant posts. Three defenders overhauled him – the Tank is no Usain Bolt – but there began not so much a slide for the line as landslip. Waldrom fell and carried on moving, all the way to the line from three yards out.
When Wasps tried to copy the lineout and drive at the end of the first half, they were held up and Exeter were awarded the put-in at the scrum. The visitors went in at the interval with an eight‑point lead.
The home team, chastened no doubt by allowing their promising start to become this deficit, came out and set about turning the game around.
Siale Piutau made a break, Robson improvised with the sweetest little grubber kick and Charles Piutau completed the move. Within three minutes of the restart, the gap was down to three points.
Exeter then struck when a fine passing movement, involving Henry Slade, Ian Whitten and Olly Woodburn, was converted into a series of close-quarter drives by the forwards. Everybody expected Waldrom to score, but instead it was the replacement prop, Harry Williams, who was last season playing in the Championship with Jersey, who dived over.
Slade, from very long range, failed to stretch the lead to 14 points, and a pass by Woodburn to Geoff Parling – the second row dived over in the corner – was adjudged forward. With the last quarter fast approaching, James Haskell gave away a penalty and Gareth Steenson did make the lead a wide 13 points.
Surely, there was no way back for Wasps. Exeter seemed poised to score again, their forwards hanging over the goal line. But then Elliot Daly was running from the dead-ball area and streaking out of his 22, and soon Frank Halai was scoring, his three-quarters making no mistake in exploiting their overlap this time.
Wasps still needed a try – and just as important, a conversion. Gopperth had missed a couple. Nothing in this game could be taken for granted – except perhaps that Exeter would hurl themselves with everything they had left into the defence of their lead. They tackled and reformed as the Wasps forwards smashed into them.
Would Wasps now dare go from tight to wide? In the last minute of play? It can be so hard to order the heavyweights to give up the ball. But out it went, Gopperth to Daly, and from the centre to full-back Charles Piutau. He scored – but out wide. Gopperth landed the kick, a brilliant end to an extraordinary game.
