Chiefs side to face Harlequins
By Mark Stevens
25/6/21
It’s a trip Exeter Chiefs have become accustomed to in recent years, but Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, says his side will be taking nothing for granted when they lock horns with Harlequins in tomorrow’s Gallagher Premiership Final at Twickenham (5:30pm).
For a sixth successive season, Devon’s finest will head to the capital in a bid to land English Rugby’s top prize.
After the toughest of seasons, one in which Covid has again played a huge part - and teams have been hampered by lengthy international call-ups, the Chiefs are back where they want to be, just one game away from creating yet another memorable chapter in the club’s history books.
Victory tomorrow for the Chiefs would not only ensure them of a third title in five years but, more importantly, it would seal back-to-back crowns - a phenomenal achievement in itself given the relentless nature of the top-flight.
Unlike last season where they were the dominant force, both in the Premiership and Europe, this time round they have faced a much tougher fight in their quest to reach the end of season showpiece. Bristol, topped the standings at the end of the regular season, whilst Sale Sharks and Harlequins provedequally formidable foes.
Harlequins underlined their own ambitions by going to Ashton Gate last week and overcoming a 28-0 deficit to bite the Bears in extra time. At Sandy Park, the Chiefs were matching up against the Sharks for a second successive week in yet another bruising battle.
Thankfully, Baxter’s side had enough on both occasions to see off the Sharks and now they are hell-bent on finishing the job that started, ironically away to Harlequins in November, just a few weeks after they had seen off Wasps in monsoon-like conditions for last season’s Premiership final.
“The mood feels pretty good,” said Baxter earlier this week. “Right now, it doesn’t quite feel like it did last week [against Sale], because that was electric and I could sense seeing the boys and the way they were in training, that they were hungry and ready to go. I could see in their body language, the way they were talking, and the way they wanted to drive things through, I never felt we were ever going to lose that game.
“I think as this week goes on and we get ever closer to the game, we will get that same buzz about the place. I know even now the lads are ready. Once you get over those first few days of giddiness about getting to the final, it’s then that you start to lock things down and focus on making sure you give yourself the best chance to go out and win the game. That’s our job as coaches to help do that, but it’s also the job of the players to make sure they are in the right frame of mind as well.”
Standing in the way of the Chiefs tomorrow will be a Harlequins side, who have produced a Lazarus-like revival to their season following the departure of former head coach Paul Gustard back in January.
Baxter has watched from afar the strides they have made since that time and he has warned his players of the threat they will pose to his own side’s chances this weekend.
“I can’t tell you what they have changed, just because I’ve not been part of their camp,” added Baxter. “What I can say is, you look at their players and you can see they look comfortable, they look as though they are enjoying the way they play, and they are playing with smiles on their faces. When you get a team like that, it makes them dangerous.
“You have to be a fool to not notice what Quins did last week. Bristol have been a good team this season and have beaten most sides, including ourselves, yet Quins made them look pretty ordinary for a good chunk of that game. Now, we have to make sure we don’t ever look ordinary in the game and that means focusing on being the best versions of ourselves we can be.
“That is what I have got to hope the experience of previous finals gives us. Being the best versions of ourselves is pretty good and it can win us games, but you do have to drive it, you have to stick at it, and you do have to be able to revert to it and bring yourself back to it when you do come under pressure.”
Thankfully, a large nucleus of Baxter’s squad this weekend have tasted the Twickenham Final experience previously, but there will be a small number of players who will be sampling the occasion for the first time and the Chiefs leader says they must embrace the whole day.
“I think you need to let those guys have that different motivation,” he continued. “Their motivation is this is my first final, a huge occasion for me, but you have to remind them of the same stuff as everybody else, which is use your motivation for today to make you the best players in our systems and in what we do that you can. That will allow you to thrive, allow the team to thrive, allow you to have the best experience and, hopefully, gives you the best opportunity to win.”
And one of those who will be getting his first taste of running out for the Chiefs at HQ will be young flanker Richard Capstick, whose afternoon was cut short after just two minutes last weekend following a high tackle from Sale’s Manu Tuilagi.
Capstick was forced off following the incident and did not return for the remainder of the game. However, he has since passed all of his HIA protocols this week, and he is able to pack down in an unchanged Chiefs starting line-up from that which started a week ago.
Also in from the outset will be Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill and Sam Simmonds, who together with Stuart Hogg - who is named on the bench - will be part of the British & Irish Lions contingent who fly to South Africa for their summer tour on Sunday.
Another starter is Jack Nowell, who marked his return to action last weekend by scoring two tries in the win over Sale. The Cornishman is the only Chiefs player to have featured in all six of Exeter’s Premiership Finals and much will be asked of him in his side’s pursuit of glory.
EXETER CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE HARLEQUINS
15 Jack Nowell
14 Alex Cuthbert
13 Henry Slade
12 Ollie Devoto
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds (capt)
9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Harry Williams
4 Jonny Gray
5 Jonny Hill
6 Jannes Kirsten
7 Richard Capstick
8 Sam Simmonds
16 Jack Yeandle
17 Ben Moon
18 Marcus Street
19 Sean Lonsdale
20 Don Armand
21 Stu Townsend
22 Harvey Skinner
23 Stuart Hogg