Just as they did last year a black-clad Exeter will emerge into the bright sunshine from the home dressing room at Twickenham having finished top of the regular season table. Twelve months ago their ambitions fell on stony ground and the intense desire to avoid a similar outcome has motivated them ever since.
The problem, as always, is finding a way to defy the irresistible sudden-death force that Saracens have become. Exeter will be appearing in their fourth consecutive final and, so far, have hoisted the trophy only once, in 2017, at Wasps’ expense. Saracens currently lose finals, both domestic or European, about as often as Mark McCall appears on Love Island.
For the first 10 minutes or so last year, Exeter pinged the ball around with confidence and Saracens barely had a touch. It did not last. Two quickfire tries before the end of the first quarter through Billy Vunipola and Chris Wyles and the game was effectively up. Exeter’s mood of despondency was deepened by the fact they never played to their full potential.
Partly that is the effect Saracens have on opponents but this time there is a sense Exeter, whatever happens, will bear a closer resemblance to the real Chiefs. “Sometimes the mistake we’ve made against Saracens is that you feel you can’t do anything,” said Rob Baxter, all too conscious of the defending champions’ defensive prowess. “It’s probably the regret we had from the last final. We got caught in a gain-line, smack-it-up game but when we reviewed it there was more there for us. I look back at that first half with regret that mentally we weren’t a bit sharper.”
Exeter, in short, will not be changing their entire approach simply because some apparently find it repetitive. Their formula may be power-based but, equally, it also demands deft hands and accuracy from every player, allied to a multifaceted plan to put teams under pressure as often as possible.
Dull? Only if, as Baxter says, it involves a lack of thought or an emotional deficit. “We don’t feel we massively need to change, we feel we need to play. When we play, that’s what creates pressure. We are not going to start picking and go from halfway. We never have done and we never will.”
Among the Exeter players, too, there is a belief they did not do themselves justice in Europe this season and still have a surprise or two up their sleeves. “I played three seasons at Gloucester but I never had the same enjoyment I’ve had with Exeter this year,” said Matt Kvesic, who wears No 8 but will be primarily responsible for disrupting Saracens at the breakdown. He and his teammates are also up for the sizeable physical challenge presented by players such as Vunipola.
“When you tackle him it’s basically like putting your head in the spokes. But we don’t fear any teams. There are obviously very good players in certain positions but we’ve a no-fear mentality here. We just want to give it a crack.”
The latest remarkable fitness recovery from Brad Barritt, who has overcome the hamstring problem that looked likely to prevent him leading out Saracens, makes unchanged Exeter’s task no easier. Seventeen of the Saracens’ matchday 23 were also involved last year, as was the referee, Wayne Barnes, but Exeter beat their opponents 31-13 at Sandy Park in December and will be captained for the first time in a Twickenham final by their club skipper, Jack Yeandle.
They have kept faith with the fleet-footed Tom O’Flaherty ahead of Santiago Cordero in the back three and will be hopeful Ollie Devoto maintains his good form alongside Henry Slade. Exeter also have six international front-rows, all intent on making life tougher than anticipated for a red-shirted Saracens.
“I think we have it in us but we are going to have to be good because it’s like an all-international clash,” Baxter said. “It comes down to the guys that lock it down on the day and get it right. If it was England v Wales we’d be saying the same thing.”
In Devon they still believe heaven is only 80 minutes away.
