Nowell looking to inspire Chiefs final triumph

One year on from a dramatic Aviva Premiership final defeat to Saracens, Exeter Chiefs are back in the showpiece and 2017 British & Irish Lion Jack Nowell will be hoping to help them leave with the silverware. [more]

Nowell looking to inspire Chiefs final triumph

Chiefs avenged last year’s final loss by grabbing a last-gasp score through Sam Simmonds in their semi-final against Sarries a week ago, triumphing 18-16.

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And now, the last step to completing a magical season is going to Twickenham and beating table-toppers Wasps.

Exeter know they are capable of beating the Coventry-based outfit in big moments, having dispatched Dai Young’s men 34-23 in the Aviva Premiership semi-finals a season ago.

JACK IT UP

The eye-catching cut and thrust of Exeter’s attack comes from red-hot winger Nowell, who has been in superb form this season to earn a maiden Lions call from Warren Gatland.

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But he can expect to be tested defensively on Saturday with free-scoring Wasps – including Christian Wade, who equalled the Premiership Rugby try-scoring record for a season this year – as the opponents.

Yet the Chiefs could not wish to be in better form heading to Twickenham. They’re on a 16-game unbeaten run in the Premiership and secured bonus-point victories in each of their final eight regular season games.

As usual, Nowell starts on the wing for Rob Baxter’s men and, one week on from making 53 metres on 12 carries against Saracens, he could hold the key to unlocking Wasps and leading Exeter to a first-ever Premiership title.

TEAMS

Wasps: Le Roux; Wade, Daly, Gopperth, Bassett; Cipriani, Robson; Mullan, Taylor, Swainston, Launchbury (capt), Symons, Haskell, Young, Hughes.

Replacements: Johnson, McIntyre, Moore, Myall, Thompson, Simpson, Leiua, Halai.

Exeter Chiefs: Dollman; Nowell, Whitten, Devoto, Woodburn; Steenson (capt), Townsend; Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Williams, Dennis, Parling, Horstmann, Armand, Waldrom.

Replacements: Yeandle, Rimmer, Francis, Lees, S. Simmonds, Chudley, Slade, Campagnaro.

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