Exeter power past Northampton to advance to final

David Skippers

Exeter Chiefs Tom O’ Flaherty scores his teams fourth Try during the Gallagher Premiership, Semi-final match at Sandy Park, Exeter. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 25, 2019. See PA story RUGBYU Exeter. Photo credit should read: Julian Herbert/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use.

Exeter Chiefs advanced to the 2019 Premiership final by knocking out Northampton Saints with a 42-12 win in their semi-final at Sandy Park on Saturday.

In a fast-paced and entertaining encounter, Exeter were deserved winners as they held the upper-hand for most of this match and they eventually outscored Northampton by six tries to two.

Joe Simmonds led the way for the hosts with a 17-point haul courtesy of a try and six conversions and their other five-pointers were scored by Harry Williams, Dave Dennis, Tom O’Flaherty, Sam Simmonds and Sam Hill.

For the visitors, Ahsee Tuala crossed the whitewash and they were also awarded a penalty try.

The Chiefs were fastest out of the blocks but, despite having the bulk of the possession and spending long periods camped inside Saints’ half, they had no reward after 15 minutes.

Exeter thought they had taken the lead in the 12th minute when Dave Ewers made a strong drive towards the try-line but the television match official ruled that he was short of the whitewash.

Shortly afterwards, the home side took the lead when Williams swivelled through a couple of tackles before crashing over for the opening try.

That score boosted the hosts’ confidence and they continued to pound away at Saints’ try-line. Midway through the half, Simmonds found himself in space deep inside Northampton’s 22 and he did well to step past a couple of defenders before crossing for his team’s second try.

He converted both tries which meant the Chiefs were leading 14-0 after 23 minutes but the game’s complexion changed in dramatic fashion five minutes later.

This, when James Fish went over the whitewash from a driving maul close to Exeter’s try-line. Although his effort was disallowed after television replays revealed he had dropped the ball after a desperate tackle from Nic White, referee Matthew Carley awarded a penalty try, ruling that O’Flaherty entered the maul from the side.

With the winger in the bin following the indiscretion, Saints came to the fore with more enterprising play and, on the half-hour mark, Tom Collins and Rory Hutchinson combined brilliantly to create space for Tuala, who had an easy run-in for their second try.

Just before half-time, a brilliant show-and-go from Hutchinson bamboozled the Chiefs defence and he was in the clear close to the home side’s 22 with only Jack Nowell to beat.

Hutchinson did well to draw in Nowell before offloading to Cobus Reinach, who only had to catch the ball before cantering in for his side’s third try. But an inexplicable knock-on from the Springbok scrum-half meant the Chiefs went into the sheds holding a slender 14-12 lead with the visitors wondering what could have been.

Five minutes after the restart, Exeter extended their lead when Dave Dennis spotted a gap close to Saints’ try-line and barged over from close quarters for their third try.

Simmonds added the extras, which gave the Chiefs a 21-12 lead, and shortly afterwards they went further ahead when O’Flaherty left his stamp on the match with superb attacking play. This, after the winger gathered the ball close to the halfway mark and beat a couple of defenders with deft footwork before rounding Dan Biggar just outside Northampton’s 22. He still had work to do but outpaced the cover defence before diving over for a brilliant try.

That score seemed to knock the wind out of Northampton’s sails and, although they tried to launch a fightback, the next 20 minutes was an arm wrestle with Exeter spending most of that time in the visitors’ half.

And after a long period in the Saints’ red zone, Sam Simmonds crossed for the Chiefs’ fifth try, from close range, in the 70th minute before Sam Hill sealed an emphatic win and a place in the final against Saracens with a well-taken effort in the game’s dying moments.

The scorers:

For Exeter Chiefs:
Tries: Williams, J Simmonds, Dennis, O’Flaherty, S Simmonds, Hill
Cons: J Simonds 6
Yellow Card: O’Flaherty

For Northampton Saints:
Tries: Penalty try, Tuala

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Jack Nowell, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ollie Devoto, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Nic White, 8 Matt Kvesic, 7 Don Armand, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Dave Dennis, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 1 Ben Moon
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Jack Maunder, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Sam Hill

Northampton Saints: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Tom Collins, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Piers Francis, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Teimana Harrison (c), 7 Lewis Ludlam, 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 Api Ratuniyarawa, 4 Alex Moon, 3 Ehren Painter, 2 James Fish, 1 Francois van Wyk
Replacements: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Jamie Gibson, 21 Tom Wood, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Luther Burrell

Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant Referees: Tom Foley, Jack Makepeace
TMO: Rowan Kitt

Exeter Chiefs