Exeter Chiefs vs Wasps
These teams will both be smarting after being dumped out of the Champions Cup and will be keen to get back to winning ways. The Chiefs have not been the dominate force they were last season when they won the Premiership and the Champions Cup and the same could be said of Wasps who have struggled to reach the heights of last season. The first round match between the two saw Wasps thrash an under strength Exeter and I’m sure the Chiefs will be looking for revenge on their home ground. The focus for the Chiefs will be solely on retaining their Premiership crown and this is bad news for the Wasps. They have been selecting under strength teams for the Premiership to keep players fresh for Europe but now all their energy will be focused on winning the league. The Exeter pack is full with internationals but was bullied into submission against Leinster and they will be raring to take that frustration out on Wasps. The key players for the Chiefs will be Stuart Hogg and Sam Simmonds as they can create something out on nothing in a moment. The Wasps will look to English internationals Dan Robson and Paolo Odogwu to provide the edge in attack as this is an area that has lacked any penetration. The return of Jack Nowell will be a significant bolt to Exeter as he has that X factor that is priceless on the wing.
TIP: The Chiefs will want to use their rolling maul to great effect against Wasps because that is their major attacking weapon. They also have winger Tom O’Flaherty who scored two scintillating tries against Leinster and his duel with Paolo Odogwu will be titanic. The halfback pairing of Exeter are not flashy but they do the simple things right. Joe Simmonds kicks for touch and not for posts when his teams win penalties that are how confident Exeter is of their rolling maul. Wasps will need to find a way to stop the maul and Joe Launchbury will need all his experience to help Wasps achieve this. The bookies agree with me that Exeter are heavy favourites and the best odds on a Chiefs victory are Sunbet 1.21, Worldsportsbetting 1.22 and Playabets 1.20
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Exeter Chiefs vs Wasps
- In the last 5 matches there have been 3 Wasps wins to Chiefs 2.
- Four of the last 5 matches have been won by the home team on the day.
- Exeter’s last 12 home matches against Wasps there has only been one win for Wasps.
Latest results for both teams
Exeter lost their last match against Leinster 22-34 while Wasps lost their last match against Clermont 25-27.
PREDICTION
Exeter have built their winning game plan on forward domination and be boring at times but is very effective. Teams playing against them know what is coming but still can’t stop them unless you have a forward pack like Leinster had. I don’t think anyone in Europe has a Leinster- like pack and wasps can expect a tough day at the office. This time round I believe that Exeter will surprise Wasps and unleash their backline stars like Hogg, O’Flaherty and Nowell and this could turn ugly for Wasps therefore I predict an Exeter win by more than 13 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Exeter Chiefs
15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ollie Devoto, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 Joe Simmonds (c), 9 Jack Maunder, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Alec Hepburn
Wasps
15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Michael Le Bourgeois, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Brad Shields, 7 Thomas Young, 6 James Gaskell, 5 Will Rowlands, 4 Joe Launchbury (c), 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Ben Harris
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Exeter victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.22
Sunbet 1.21
Playabets 1.20
Odds comparison for a Exeter handicap victory
Worldsportsbetting (-10.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-10.5) 1.87
Playabets (-10.5) 1.85
Predictions and Odds in detail
The Chiefs will want to make a statement and show that they are not ready to give up their title just yet and although they are in second place, they will want to solidify their playoff position. Wasps seem to lack cohesion in attack but will hope the return of Dan Robson assists in this regard. The man I think that will be most fired up for this clash will be Sam Simmonds just to remind the English selectors that he deserves a place in the national team. The value for money bet is on the Exeter handicap and the best odds are at Worldsportsbetting (-10.5) 1.90 Sunbet (-10.5) 1.87 and Playabets (-10.5) 1.85
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
