They join the pantheon of English double winners – becoming only the fourth club to do so by matching Leicester, Wasps and Saracens – and they fully merit the plaudits after battling through the evening deluge at Twickenham, overcoming a spirited Wasps outfit to add the Premiership trophy to a Sandy Park cabinet that already contains the European Cup.
Exeter’s success has been built on the firmest of foundations both on and off the pitch – and it was on the field that, for the second week in succession, they showed how rock-solid they are in the basics of the game.
The Chiefs had a clear advantage throughout this final at the scrum and lineout, and in the ability to control the ball in contact, and eventually, it was that attention to the fundamentals that carried them to their second Premiership title only a decade after winning promotion from the Championship.
At half-time, Rob Baxter, Exeter’s talismanic coach, was asked what his side – who led 13-10 at the interval – had to do to tilt the balance in their favour against a Wasps outfit that never stopped scrapping. He summed up the game plan perfectly, saying that the waterlogged pitch made multiple passage of play pretty difficult and that his side had to use set-piece pressure, “to grind and grind”.
After a first-half in which both sides made light of the conditions to score spectacular tries – Exeter through Henry Slade and Wasps through Jacob Umaga – the contest tightened-up, and as the margins for error became smaller, and the ability to apply pressure became critical, it was the Chiefs, who came out on top.
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin October 25, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin October 25, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
I'm loving every single minute
IN THE picturesque town of Pau nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees, Joe Simmonds has found more than just a rugby club; he’s found a new place to call home.
Scoring in Hell Fire Comer was great
SEEING Scottie Scheffler being presented with the Green Jacket for winning golf’s US Masters last week reminded me of the time I was presented with a red one having played my 100th game for Redruth. It might not have the same kudos in the wider sporting world but, for me, it is a treasured item from my four years at the club.
Defeated, but Ukraine show grit and pride
SWITZERLAND was always going to be Ukraine’s toughest match of this three Test series and so it proved.
Crane: Sinckler's an emotional guy
JORDAN Crane feels England have failed to get the best out of Kyle Sinckler during his international career, with the tighthead prop set to be unavailable for his country from next season as he heads to the Top 14.
YOUNG GUNS
Newcastle Falcons have endured a dismal campaign in the Premiership but tyro hooker Jacob Oliver believes the future is bright in the North East as he hopes to follow fellow academy graduates by breaking into the first team.
Hurricanes storm in despite triple yellow
HURRICANES overcame a poor second half in which they conceded three yellow cards to beat Fijian Drua 38-15 and stretch their winning start to eight matches to end their opponent’s unbeaten record at home.
JIFF looks likely to play a vital role
IT’S LOGICAL – as the final stop-start sprint in a hard fought Top 14 season begins – to think purely in terms of matches remaining, points potential, and table possibilities. In fact, with play-off and Champions Cup places up for grabs, and relegation to avoid, such thoughts are not just logical, they’re inevitable.
S Africa is crying out for its own league
IF I remember my A level geography correctly, Africa is moving towards Europe at about the same rate as your fingernails grow which, among other things, suggests that the wholesale, no holds barred, in for a penny in for a pound merging of British, European and South African rugby was a tad premature.
Lion who enjoyed a taste of Italy
ANDREA Gazzi’s grave lies on the Inner Hebridean island of Islay, a long way from the fish-and-chip shop he left behind in Gorseinon.
Furbank: We were spoonfed too much
GEORGE Furbank feels Northampton’s rise this season is down to a pre-season meeting when the players resolved to take more responsibility.