Exeter Chiefs win the LV=Cup Final

Exeter Chiefs 15 Northampton Saints 8

It’s a day that will forever live long in the history of Exeter Rugby Club as the Chiefs claimed their first major silverware within the game with a 15-8 victory over Northampton Saints in the final of the LV= Cup.

Rob Baxter’s side toasted Anglo-Welsh glory on home soil as tries from Chris Whitehead and Dean Mumm, coupled with five points from the boot of young fly-half Henry Slade, sealed a memorable win for Devon’s finest.

Having suffered Cup Final heartache on numerous occasions in the past, there was no denying the Chiefs this time round as they eased past their Premiership counterparts.

The Saints countered with a Samu Manoa try and a penalty from Glenn Dickson, but that was their scant reward on a day when the Westcountry outfit produced one of their gutsy performances in years.

Running out to a packed house at Sandy Park, Baxter had been forced to tinker with his winning formula from that which had triumphed for the first time in 36 years at Bath the week previous. Changes saw Ben Moon return in the front-row at the expense of Carl Rimmer; Jason Shoemark came in at centre for Ian Whitten, whilst Tongan flyer Fetu’u Vainikolo started on the left wing in place of Tom James. On the bench, Romana Graham and Sireli Naqelevuki were given rare inclusions in the match-day 23, whilst Don Armand was also back having missed the game at The Rec as he was back home in South Africa getting married.

The Saints, meanwhile, were also able to field a powerful array of talent even though they were devoid of international stars such as Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Dickson, North and Burrell. Proven Premiership performers were awash across their starting XV, but they were dealt a double blow just prior to kick-off when playmaker Stephen Myler and fellow back Will Hooley were ruled out due to injury.

With personnel in place and the stadium awash with colour on a sun-baked day in the Westcountry, it was the Chiefs who set the early tone as they took the game to their rivals from the first blast of referee Andrew Small’s whistle.

Fancy footwork from Phil Dollman created the initial havoc in the Saints defence as he tore through the middle and although the Welshman was felled, the ensuing play from the Chiefs saw them win a penalty. Declining the kick at goal, Slade punted the ball to the right corner, the home line-out ensued and from the resultant shove, it was hooker Whitehead who emerged from the mass of bodies to accept the acclaim of his ecstatic team-mates.

Sadly Slade could not add the extras on this occasion, drifting his kick just wide of the far post.

As expected there was a rapid response from the Saints and having threatened to cause damage deep inside the Exeter half, they finally got themselves on the board when Dickson landed a penalty after the Chiefs were adjudged to have dropped a scrum.

Referee: A Small

Attendance: 10,004

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