Brown-Bampoe primed for the opportunity presented by home semi-final

Winger Paul Brown-Bampoe believes he and his Chiefs teammates are relishing the idea of coming up against Northampton Saints this weekend with a final in the PREM Rugby Cup on the line.

The Exeter men came into the training week refreshed from a bye-week off of training following a gruelling 15-week long block of games.

Brown-Bampoe said: “We’ve got fresh legs and it’s been really nice training again after a week off. Towards the end of that block, it felt a little like you were just dragging yourself through training, so feeling springy and explosive again, I think all the boys are feeling good.

“It’s really exciting going into this week, hoping to get the details nailed down because we know in ourselves, and in our bodies, we’re good to go.”

The match against Northampton Saints marks the second consecutive year that Chiefs have hosted a semi-final in the domestic cup, and Rob Baxter’s men know there is a real chance of also reaching a second final in two seasons.

Brown-Bampoe said: “I like to take every game play-by-play, as it lets you focus on each interaction individually and not let the pressure get to you. However, as a collective, we feel that level of excitement knowing that we’ve brought knockout rugby to Sandy Park. We know we have to bring an even greater level of intensity to the game.

“I’m itching for it, itching to get back into that final spot. We made it to the final last season against Bath Rugby but lost, and that was a particularly sour point of the season for me personally. We want to go all the way this year. I don’t want to jinx it, but fingers crossed, it feels like our year.”

This season so far has seen a reinvigorated, determined Chiefs squad take to the field each week with players and coaches alike praising the tight-knit nature of the environment.

It is that setting that has allowed the likes of Campbell Ridl, who already has two hattrick games in the cup, and Zack Wimbush to flourish in the competition. Brown-Bampoe is thoroughly enjoying playing alongside his fellow youngsters.

He said: “Campbell is one of those people that the fans have only just discovered but he had a really great pre-season, was a great person to train against, so he’s someone that we all felt was going to kick on this year.

“It’s been of no real surprise to us that he’s doing so well. It’s great to see his form has followed him through the season, into the Gallagher PREM and Europe as well.

“And playing with Wimbo definitely makes my job a lot easier! I know he’s now a major threat for teams, which means maybe they might take their eyes off me for a second, and I can do what I need to do.

“He’s another person that’s been an incredible athlete for years. I think he’s developed his general rugby understanding and his ability to communicate on the pitch, which has allowed him to step up and show his athleticism.”

Northampton have threats of their own. The likes of George Hendy can be prolific with ball in hand or in open space while scrum-half Archie McParland has been making a name for himself amongst supporters of the green and gold. How does Brown-Bampoe think he and his teammates will fare against their talented opposition?

He said: “I think this will be a really exciting game. Players like George Hendy, they’re great athletes and [George] Furbank as well is a great player. Back-three wise, I think it’s going to be a great competition. Across their whole squad though, they’re talented like we are, so I think it’s going to be about who wants it more.”

The semi-final kicks off at 13:30 on Sunday, 8 March at Sandy Park with match tickets available to purchase here. The match will also be broadcast live on TNT Sports.