GARETH STEENSON showed nerves of steel to save Exeter Chiefs from defeat and then clinch a dramatic Aviva Premiership victory.
Steenson shrugged off the huge pressure on his shoulders as he slotted between the posts to see his side crowned English rugby’s Premiership champions for the first time.
Wasps were 90 seconds away from glory at Twickenham before Steenson punished a Nathan Hughes penalty to send the match into extra-time.
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And the fly-half came up trumps again with another penalty with three minutes of the second period of extra time remaining to seal the win.
Exeter, beaten in the final by Saracens last year, built a deserved 14-3 lead after 30 minutes with tries by Jack Nowell and Phil Dollman.
But Wasps finally found a way to unleash their top-drawer backs and well-crafted tries by Jimmy Gopperth and Elliot Daly either side of halftime helped them turn it into 20-14 lead midway through the second half.
Exeter eventually regrouped and cut the deficit to three but looked to have paid a heavy price for twice opting for a scrum when presented with kickable penalties as Wasps held with desperate defence.
But they got a third penalty a minute from time which Steenson landed to take the game to extra time.
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With both sides wilting in the sunshine the game looked as if it might go to an unprecedented shoot-out until Exeter forced a scrum penalty with three minutes left which Steenson, one of the few survivors of the club from its second-tier days, duly landed.
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