Premiership: Wasps thrash Exeter Chiefs 46-5 to secure home semi-final

Jacob Umaga's acrobatic finish set Wasps on their way

Wasps secured a home semi-final in the Premiership play-offs with a bonus-point win over depleted leaders Exeter, who had already clinched top spot.

Tries from Jacob Umaga, Dan Robson and Jimmy Gopperth, who finished with a 19-point haul, put the hosts 25-0 up.

The bonus point Wasps required was secured three minutes after the interval when Josh Bassett crossed.

Chiefs prop Danny Southworth rumbled over on his Premiership debut but Ben Vellacott's double added further gloss.

It means Wasps will return to the Ricoh Arena next weekend to host either Bristol, who moved into third after a bonus-point win at London Irish, or Sale, if the Sharks earn a bonus-point win over Worcester on Wednesday in their rearranged final game.

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Against a Chiefs side with three players making their first starts - none of the side that started last week's Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulouse were involved - Wasps were quickly into their stride.

Gopperth landed two penalties to make it 6-0 before fly-half Umaga sliced through to grab the opening try with an acrobatic pirouette over the Chiefs line.

Scrum-half Robson pounced on Sam Maunder's loose pass to Don Armand to intercept and sprint away for the second.

Gopperth converted both to give Wasps a commanding 18-0 lead and then powered through two tacklers to stretch over himself just before the interval.

Exeter began the second half brightly but when they lost the ball in the Wasps 22, first Gopperth and then full-back Matteo Minozzi kicked ahead for Bassett to score.

Replacement prop Southworth ploughed over from close range for a memorable personal landmark but Wasps swiftly reasserted themselves.

The predatory Vellacott dotted down from a metre out after the pack did the hard yards before the replacement scrum-half finished off a slick move for his second try with eight minutes left.

It sealed Wasps' eighth win from nine starts since the Premiership resumed in August, and their biggest league victory over Exeter.

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett told BBC Radio 5 live:

"The first half was really pleasing. It is sometimes difficult when you feel you probably need five points. I am pleased we didn't try and force anything and got the job done.

"We are going to have to be adaptable this week, but we will try and use it as a positive and focus on ourselves.

"We'll have to have a look at Bristol and Sale, but we won't waste too much time as we won't know who we are playing."

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter:

"I don't mind us losing heavily, and I actually think it might be a good thing for us.

"The hardest thing for an academy player is to understand how tough Premiership rugby is.

"It is important to have a refresher and a little slap in the face, as it reminds you that day-to-day hard work gets you the rewards. Results like today should make us a better side."

Wasps: Minozzi; Kibirige, Fekitoa, Gopperth, Bassett; Umaga, Robson (capt); McIntyre, Taylor, Brookes, Rowlands, Gaskell, Shields, Young, Willis

Replacements: Oghr, West, Toomaga-Allen, Cardall, Barbeary, Vellacott, Le Bourgeois, Miller

Exeter: Dollman; Wyatt, Baldwin, Hendrickson, Cuthbert; Skinner, Maunder; Kenny, Innard, Street, Witty, Dennis, Capstick, Armand (capt), Wright

Replacements: Taione, Southworth, Petch, Price, Pearson, Townsend, Walsh, Short

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