Wasps out to end 12-year Premiership drought as Exeter reach fifth successive final

Wasps can end their 12-year wait for a Premiership title after they beat Bristol Bears 47-24 to reach the final, but they will go up against an Exeter Chiefs side in the showpiece for a fifth straight season.

In the day's first semi-final, Bristol only managed to put five points on the board in the opening 40 minutes, though it was not as one-sided as Wasps' 23-5 lead suggested at the interval.

Wasps just happened to be utterly ruthless, seizing on the majority of Bristol's infringements and turning them into points, with tries from Malakai Fekitoa and Jack Willis added to by reliable kicking courtesy of Jimmy Gopperth.

A brilliant 15-minute spell from Wasps blew Bristol away in the second half and ended the match as a contest, as they claimed 24 points in a 15-minute flurry to seal a first final spot since 2017.

The first spot in the 2019/20 #GallagherPrem Final is clinched by @WaspsRugby How impressive has their meteoric rise up the table from 10th to 2nd to the showpiece been? pic.twitter.com/AkHCfixRpt

— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) October 10, 2020

Exeter were their conquerors on that occasion and once again await Wasps after they crushed Bath 35-6 in the second semi-final.

Much like Wasps in the earlier game, Exeter were clinical and produced a thoroughly professional display – tries from Jonny Hill and Luke Cowan-Dickie put them in control in the first period, before the visitors were swept aside without registering a point in the second.

It will be Exeter's fifth final on the trot, though the only one they emerged victorious from was the 2017 showdown with Wasps – Saracens beat them in the other three.

LONDON CALLING: @ExeterChiefs are Twickenham bound again for a fifth successive @Premrugby final AWESOME BOYS pic.twitter.com/YuEOs94VSr

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) October 10, 2020