Chiefs triumph over Harlequins in final-game showdown

Exeter Chiefs recorded a 47-38 victory over Harlequins, ending a tough season on a high note at Sandy Park.

When Exeter and Harlequins battled it out for the final time in 2022, neither side had much to play for with both already secured in their respective spots in the standings. Nevertheless, a sell-out crowd greeted the pair who both spent the opening ten minutes searching for the opening try.

It eventually came with Quins taking the lead through Marcus Smith who touched the ball down and converted to edge his side ahead by seven points. Teammate Matt Symons found himself in the sin bin not long after though, being handed a yellow card, which Exeter took advantage of to strike back.

Jonny Gray got over for a try to put them back in the hunt, though the visitors immediately responded with both a try and a conversion. That – for sure – wasn’t to be the last action of the first half with the packed out crowd at Sandy Park treated to a feast of action.

There were no less than six tries in total throughout the opening 40 minutes, the two teams seemingly trading blows much like a boxing match, level at the break with the scoreline 19-19.

The half time break did little but pause the action at both ends of the field, Ian Whitten going over for the Chiefs just five minutes after the restart a sign of what was to come in the remaining 35 minutes.

The old cliche of ‘defences being on top’ couldn’t have been more untrue, six more tries still to follow with the metaphorical punches not able to knock either fighter down.

Approaching the final two minutes, the Chiefs were ahead by two, leading 40-38. Defending champions Harlequins – who ended the campaign third in the Premiership table – fought to battle back into it, knowing that a try from them would prove to be the winner.

It was to be hosts Exeter who would have the last laugh however, Sam Maunder storming over the line to get the ball down, and Joe Simmonds duly obliging with the boot, converting to add the extra two points on the board.

Referee Ian Tempest brought the game to an end with the score at 47-38, and with that, the Chiefs season came to an end with their 7th-place finish.

Post-match, Chiefs head coach Ali Hepher was delighted with the result, ending the campaign on a high.

“I thought we fought incredibly hard, we scored some good tries. They found space with kicks and those bounces just could have broken us.

“But we fought hard, came back from a couple of scores and just the way the guys approached the week and the work. For the last five weeks we’ve worked incredibly hard so we’re on the front-foot for next year which is pleasing.

“It was probably always going to be a break-open and attack space game on both sides but I’m pleased to have come through it because we’ve been on the end of a few of those where we just haven’t pulled away and we’ve let sides back in games and given up soft scores.

“In this one, we just fought our way through it and came through at the end, obviously they’ve got next week to keep an eye on so they probably had to make sure guys were fit for next week but, for us, it was an important start to what can be for pre-season and into next year.”

Quins senior coach Tabai Motson unsurprisingly wasn’t in as cheery a mood come the final hooter. Describing the game as a ‘festival’, Motson acknowledged improvement will be needed ahead of their semi-final showdown away at Saracens next Saturday – June 11.

“I think it was always going to be really positive, you come here and they’ve got a phenomenal team and they hold the ball anyway so there’s always going to be a positive attempt but it ended being a bit of a festival match.

“If you’re standing back and looking as a fan, it really entertains, some really good tries. I think for us, we learned a lot defensively so that’s probably the big thing we’ll take away leading into the semi-final.

“I think probably the big thing, we got really tested defensively and we knew we would anyway. I think when you go into a semi-final you need to know that your systems are going to hold up and, Exeter, they held the ball well.

“The breakdown, they’re generally one of the top teams so to be able to defend. The score line doesn’t really reflect a really good defensive effort.”

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