1
Premiership hype may be around other teams but the pressure is all on Exeter - Andy Goode
For all the hype around Sale and Bristol, the pressure is all on Exeter Chiefs as the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season gets back underway and it’s up to them to prove they can handle it.
ADVERTISEMENT
The signings of Manu Tuilagi and Semi Radradra, in particular, will have closed the gap between the chasing Sharks and Bears and the table-topping Chiefs, but the men from Devon remain significant favourites and they have to show they can deal with that now.
It is a different kind of pressure they face this time around as well. Exeter may have finished top of the Premiership table in the previous two campaigns but Saracens were always looming large as favourites when it came to the big games. Not any more.
This is Exeter’s time, as everyone has been saying since the salary cap punishments were imposed, but it isn’t easy to live up to the favourites tag.
Exeter have won the Premiership before, of course, but they arguably didn’t excel with the favourites tag in that 2017 final as they just edged past Wasps in extra-time. Three years on, they need to show they are the dominant force in English rugby, despite the moves being made by those around them.
The names of the 276 players who have made the matchday squads for the long-awaited rugby restart in Englandhttps://t.co/sny7gF2lWu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 14, 2020
I remember losing two finals on the bounce in 2005 and 2006 when Leicester were favourites in most people’s eyes and the overwhelming feeling in the dressing room after beating Gloucester in the final in 2007 was one of relief. That will be the same for Exeter if they lift the trophy this year.
The Chiefs will surely finish in the top two and secure a home semi-final so you would expect to see them at Twickenham in October, but the play-offs bring a different sort of pressure as well.
ADVERTISEMENT
Leicester won four titles in a row before the play-offs were introduced but it took four years of coming up empty-handed when the knockout stages came into being and people often forget that.
Exeter have been to the last four Premiership finals and a 25 per cent conversion rate isn’t great. Nobody will be putting more pressure on them than they are themselves but now is the time for them to translate consistently good regular season form into silverware.
It has been 23 weeks since we last saw Premiership action and it will be fascinating to see who comes back firing on all cylinders. On the face of it, Exeter are a bit unlucky because the chasing pack do all look stronger on paper and the long break will also be a leveller to some extent.
The Chiefs have strengthened themselves and Jonny Gray will be a major asset but the loss of Nic White could really hurt them. The likes of Stu Townsend and the Maunder brothers are all good players but they will miss White’s leadership as well as his star quality.
ADVERTISEMENT
We began this season – an absolute age ago it seems – saying that this would be the most competitive Premiership season ever and the enforced break only seems to have made it more competitive on paper.
I expect the semi-finalists to come from the current top five teams but every team, obviously apart from Saracens, will believe they can make it if they can put a run together with games coming so thick and fast.
That may seem like a crazy thing to say with Leicester 15 points off fourth place and I can’t see it happening for them but, with Steve Borthwick in the building and some fresh faces in, even they will be believing.
Everyone has been training well and is looking good if you believe what you hear before a ball has been kicked but we all can’t wait to see rugby back to judge who actually looks the real deal.
Make no mistake about it, though, the target is on Exeter’s back. I still remember choking with Leicester against Sale in 2006 despite winning five other Premiership titles, and the Chiefs will be doing everything in their power to ensure they don’t suffer that feeling.
"There is absolutely no pressure on the salary cap. In fact, I’m delighted everybody thinks we are breaking the cap… we must be doing something right with the squad if that's the case”?
– @SaleSharksRugby owner Simon Orange speaking on @TheRugbyPod ?— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 13, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments