'It was a horrible game to watch... and that last 14 minutes went on forever'
Rob Baxter admitted his emotions were “all over the place” after Exeter’s thrilling Heineken Champions Cup final victory against Racing 92. Exeter were crowned kings of Europe for the first time following a 31-27 success at Ashton Gate that saw the teams share eight tries before Chiefs captain Joe Simmonds settled the nerves with an 80th-minute penalty.
There was even a pause before the final whistle following Simmonds’ penalty as officials checked whether there was any time left to still be played, but referee Nigel Owens blew and Exeter could celebrate.
“My emotions are all over the place,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said. “It was a funny game, wasn’t it? It kind of wasn’t an Exeter Chiefs type of game, yet we ended up winning it. We didn’t really piece the game together at all. In some ways, it was some of our poorest attack and poorest defence of the season. The occasion itself was a little bit different from some of the other things we have experienced.
“But when we had to, we saw it through. We won the game by four points on the scoreboard, and that is pretty much what people will ever remember in three or four years’ time. We have had our first go at a European semi-final and a final and we have won them both. It’s great for this group of players.”
The Chiefs conquered Europe in only their tenth season as a top-flight team, ultimately flooring the French heavyweights through a combination of irresistible forward power and ruthless finishing.
The 2020 final had it all, including confusion at the finish over timekeeping ?? https://t.co/3LEsZzqBLq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 17, 2020
A gripping game saw the teams trade blow after blow before Exeter prevailed through scores by hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, No8 Sam Simmonds, prop Harry Williams and centre Henry Slade, with Joe Simmonds kicking four conversions and a late penalty after prop Tomas Francis had been sin-binned.
Full-back Simon Zebo touched down twice for Racing, while wing Juan Imhoff and hooker Camille Chat also crossed, with Maxime Machenaud adding a penalty and conversion and fly-half Finn Russell one conversion. A tearful Baxter called his wife Jo at full-time from the pitch after the behind-closed-doors Champions Cup final. He added: “I’m a bit all over the place. I told her I would definitely be home tonight! She was pretty emotional, and it made me a bit emotional.
“We have been together a long time – my whole career – and she has seen the highs and lows. It was a special couple of minutes. To start with she was just screaming at me in emotional joy, and then we managed to have a few words and talked about the journey and it was a nice few minutes.”
Exeter will complete a domestic and European double – a feat achieved by only three other English clubs – if they beat Wasps in next Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership title showdown.
Exeter have lost three of the last four Premiership finals, but they are now 80 minutes away from cleaning up in England and Europe this season. Baxter told BT Sport after the Champions Cup final: “It was a horrible game to watch, and that last 14 minutes went on forever, but we have seen it out and it looks like it was meant to be.
“It is fighting for every inch, and I thought that was the bit we were good at. I am glad we went for it like Exeter and didn’t just try and ease our way through, as we would have lost, so I am glad we got through it. I won’t worry about the elusive double right now.
“The important thing is the lads get in the changing rooms and have a couple of lagers together. We have got to enjoy the moment and the bus ride home and savour the feeling. I would like to think that today’s result and not playing as well as we could will free us up against Wasps and we can play better.”
“I’m sure the lessons we have learnt from our various encounters in Europe this season will ultimately stand us in good stead in the long run”
– So wrote Tony Rowe in January 2013. His Exeter are now European champions and here's how they rated ?? https://t.co/9z3ZpQEsxq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 17, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
55 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
55 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
55 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
55 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
55 Go to comments