Chiefs 34 Wasps 23

Exeter Chiefs 34

Wasps 23

Mark Stevens at Sandy Park
London's Calling for Exeter Chiefs after they booked themselves a first-ever appearance in the Aviva Premiership final.

Just six years after joining English rugby's elite, Rob Baxter's side are now just 80 minutes away from landing the biggest prize in the club's history.

Standing in the way of history will be Saracens, the reigning European champions and the defending Premiership Kings, who themselves saw off the challenge of Leicester Tigers in the day's other last four encounter.

It promises to be an epic encounter in the capital, but one which should serve up quite an intriguing battle.

The Chiefs, however, will head into the contest brimming with confidence having swot aside Wasps for a third time in the Premiership this season.

Although the Midlanders had their moment when they landed a last-gasp victory in the European Champions Cup, this was payback 'Devon Style;.

From the outset, the Chiefs - who had the elements at their backs in the first half - set the attacking tone. A relentless opening four minutes saw the home side lay siege on their rivals with a plethora of attacking waves.

Wasps did their best to contain Exeter's opening blast, but when No.8 Nathan Hughes infringed, playing the ball on the floor, it allowed Exeter's sharp-shooter Gareth Steenson to deliver his first shot of the day.

The Dungannon-born marksman then doubled his tally just a few minutes later, drilling another laser-guided punt between the sticks to put his side six points to the good.

Sandy Park, packed to the rafters, erupted with noise as the Irishman landed the early blows.

However, home joy was soon curtailed as Wasps - with their first meaningful invasion in behind enemy lines - stole the lead when hooker Carlo Festuccia was credited with a converted try following a quick check with the TMO.

Baxter's side made light of the setback and in an instance were soon back on the offensive. The dangerous Jack Nowell threatened down the right, only to be denied by a foot in touch.

Then, a minute later, they struck with their opening try. Will Chudley fed Nowell on the burst from a line-out and as the Cornishman tore inside, he popped the ball off to Ian Whitten, who did the rest with a powerful surge to the line.

Steenson obliged with the extras to put his side back in front, 13-7 with just over a quarter of the game having elapsed.

Again, though, Wasps were quick to respond and just past the half-hour, they stung the Chiefs with a second score of the game, scrum-half Dan Robson sniping over from close range after his forwards had put him in position to strike.

It was gripping stuff and as half-time approached, the Chiefs were denied a second try through Don Armand following another check with the 'Man in the Van'.

Exeter sensed blood, though, and following three quickfire penalties, all of which were kicked to the corner, then driven in field following the resultant line-out, referee Greg Garner had not option when, on the third attempt, the visitors illegally halted the home side's charge to the whitewash.

Garner awarded not only a penalty try to the Chiefs, converted by Steenson, but he also dispatched Festuccia to the cooler for ten minutes.

HALF TIME EXETER CHIEFS 20 WASPS 14

Although the wind had dropped a shade from the first 40 minutes, Wasps started the second period looking to pin their hosts back at every opportunity.

The Chiefs did well to swallow up the early possession, but it was the visitors who were first to strike on the resumption, Gopperth reducing the deficit with a penalty after Exeter had been pulled up for a scrum offence.

Just as it was in the first half, though, the Chiefs response was rapid, landing their second try of the game straight from the restart.

Turning over possession, Baxter's brave soldiers powered their way through a succession of attacking phases, the fruits of which resulted in a converted try for workhorse flanker Dave Ewers.

Now ten points clear, the Chiefs had at last a little bit of breathing space from which they could hold their counterparts at bay.

Wasps had other ideas and having landed another scrum penalty from Kiwi fly-half Gopperth, they remainded firmly in the hunt as the minutes ticked by.

As the battle for territory intensified by the minute, the two sides slugged it out in a kick contest more akin to Wimbledon, rather than the normal Sandy Park offering.

Neither side were willing to give an inch in their quest to reach Twickenham in seven days time.

Gopperth continued to make home nerves jangle as he slotted successive penalties to reduce Exeter's advantage to just a mere four points.

But as the decibel levels started to rise in the closing exchanges, so the Chiefs slowly began to wrestle the last bit of breath out of the Wasps challenge.

Having won a significant late penalty, it would have been easy for skipper Steenson to opt for the posts. Instead, he summoned Henry Slade to kick for the far right corner.

The England international stepped forward, firing a sublime kick to it's intended target, thus allowing the Chiefs the perfect platform from which to pounce.

The initial thrust for the line - courtesy of the line-out - came to nothing, but the pressure had created a scrum just five metres from the Wasps line.

As the 'Tomahawk Chop' reached fever pitch, so the Exeter eight combined as one to drive for the line. As the Wasps bodied splintered out at every angle, referee Garner had no option but to award the penalty try.

It signalled scenes of huge emotion for the majority packed inside the ground. Steenson administered the final nail in the Wasps coffin, sparking scenes of delirium in all corners.

For the Chiefs, it's onto next week and a trip to Twickers. Who knows what's next in this amazing chapter of 'Little Old Exeter'.

Chiefs: P Dollman; J Nowell, H Slade, I Whitten (S Hill 61), O Woodburn; G Steenson (capt), W Chudley; B Moon (A Hepburn 53), L Cowan-Dickie (J Yeandle 53), H Williams (T Francis 53); M Lees, G Parling; D Ewers (T Waldrom 61), J Salvi, D Armand. Replacements (not used): O Atkins, D Lewis, J Short.

Tries - Whitten, Penalty Try (2), Ewers; Conversions - Steenson (4); Penalties - Steenson (2)

Wasps: C Piutau; C Wade, E Daly, S Piutau, F Halai (A Johnson 43); J Gopperth, D Robson (J Simpson 68); M Mullan (S McIntyre 60), C Festuccia, J Cooper-Wooley; J Launchbury, B Davies; J Haskell (capt), G Smith, N Hughes (S Jones 68). Replacements (not used): L Cittadini. W Rowlands, R Jackson, R Miller.

Tries - Festuccia, Robson; Conversions - Gopperth (2); Penalties - Gopperth (3)

Yellow Card: Festuccia

Referee: G Garner

Attendance: 12,604