Exeter, the reigning European and British champion, suffered their first league loss on Saturday since October, beaten 34-5 by the Wasps, whom they dominated in the Premiership final last season. The Devon club had left internationals Luke Cowan-Dickie, Harry Williams, Jonny Gray, Jonny Hill, Sam Skinner and Henry Slade to rest following their participation in the Fall Nations Cup.
The Chiefs’ latest Premiership setback, a 46-5 rout on the field of those same Wasps with a largely overhauled squad, dated back to the last game of the previous regular season, played in early October following the interruption of the championship caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Exeter went on to win the title in the final, winning 19-13 over the Wasps. The team coached by Rob Baxter nonetheless remains tied on points with the Bristol Bears, while the Wasps are in 5th place, six points from the lead.
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