22 April 2023 , 07:54
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For a final time they run out at Sandy Park today, one of English rugby’s great teams preparing to break up.
There is the small matter of a Champions Cup semi-final still to play, against La Rochelle in Bordeaux a week tomorrow. But for more than half the side that took Exeter Chiefs from junior leagues to champions of Europe, this afternoon against Bristol marks the end at home.
“There is a bit of sadness about,” admitted outgoing centre Ian Whitten. "We have played together for a very long time, we’ve had a great camaraderie.
“One of our strengths has been how tight we’ve been as a team for so long. For that to be breaking up, yeah, there is a sadness.”
Whitten is retiring, so too Ben Moon and Scotland star Stuart Hogg, though in his case not until after the World Cup.
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England quartet Jack Nowell, Sam Simmonds, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Harry Williams are all moving to France - Dave Ewers, Jannes Kirsten, Sean O’Brien and Joe Simmonds following them out the door.
Sam Simmonds is one of many Chiefs playing their final match at home this afternoon (CameraSport via Getty Images)“Everything comes to an end,” Whitten added. “But there’s a lot of pride in this group of lads that are finishing off.
“There’s been a transitional element to this year but Europe’s been a good way for us to show that, as a squad, we still care, we are still good and there’s still something special in this group.”
There is a danger of Exeter being derailed by emotion this afternoon, especially against opponents they stuck 50 points on at Ashton Gate.
Henry Slade back in Chiefs side as captain today (CameraSport via Getty Images)La Rochelle present a monster challenge for a group daring to dream they could emulate their 2020 run to the trophy.
And boss Rob Baxter knows they can’t afford to head to France on the back of another hiding like the one they took at Leicester a week ago.
“I’ve told the lads we’ve got two be very careful,” he said. “You can make an assumption there’s going to be this big emotional energy and this big emotional drive, but that doesn’t mean a lot unless we get the detail right.
Sam and Joe Simmonds with spoils of victory following 2020 Champions Cup final (Getty Images)“We actually put a fair deal of emotion and energy into big chunks of the Leicester game but our accuracy around where we put that energy in was so poor we ended up getting very little for it.
“We’ve got to get the balance right.”