Category: Rugby

Despite finishing third in the regular season table Exeter Chiefs are confident they can cause an upset at Twickenham

Prem finals do not always unfold as anticipated. Six of the last seven editions have been settled by six points or fewer and favourites are not guaranteed to have it their own way. Remember Freddie Burns’ late drop-goal to edge Leicester past Saracens in 2022? Or Harlequins coming from behind against Exeter the previous year? In Twickenham’s summer heat – it’s uncanny how often the weather plays ball – the best of plans can easily go awol.

In 2024 Bath were undone after Beno Obano’s first-half red card and 12 months ago Michael Cheika’s Leicester came within a couple of points of causing a big upset. The common denominator? Finals can be unpredictable occasions and, under pressure, what looked a dead cert last week becomes as relevant as last year’s lottery numbers.

Back-row’s colossal performance in Prem semi-final proves he is ready to come of age for Northampton against Exeter

As Henry Pollock idly plays with the straggly end of his blond rat’s tail on a sunny day in Northampton, he looks wholly at ease. There are more microphones in front of him than anyone else but that’s fine. Exeter are preparing to hit him with everything they can muster but that’s fine too. If you’re aspiring to stand out from the crowd, it’s all part of the deal.

Because a high-profile Prem final is exactly where he wants to be. Particularly as he missed the last one. When Saints lifted the trophy in 2024 he was away in Georgia with England Under-20s, jumping up and down in a hotel room in Tbilisi. “I was a bit annoyed I missed that experience but the boys have been telling me how amazing the whole week was. I am just trying to live every moment of it.”

• England consent to Chiefs fielding winger at Twickenham

• Ethan Roots also set to return against Northampton

Manny Feyi-Waboso has been declared fit to return for Exeter in this weekend’s Prem final at Twickenham. England’s star winger underwent facial surgery barely two weeks ago but, in a major boost for the Chiefs, is available for his side’s showdown with Northampton and, potentially, England’s Test against South Africa on 4 July.

Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, said the decision was ultimately taken by Feyi-Waboso himself after England’s medical team indicated they had no objections to him playing. The 23-year-old had a plate inserted in his jaw this month but is now free to bolster the Chiefs’ efforts to secure a first Prem title since 2020.

• Scrum-half could play in Saturday’s final against Exeter

• England preparing to name Nations Championship squad

The England scrum-half Alex Mitchell is in line for an unexpected return to Northampton’s matchday squad for this weekend’s Prem final against Exeter. A hamstring injury had threatened to rule Mitchell out of the rest of the domestic season but the Saints are now hopeful he will be available for Saturday’s finale at Allianz Stadium.

A fit Mitchell would be positive news for club and country after the 29-year-old tore a hamstring during an England training camp in Bagshot last month. At the time his club director of rugby, Phil Dowson, publicly expressed his frustration about Mitchell’s injury and suggested he would struggle to feature again this season.

Top-level rugby is fast becoming a different sport and finalists illustrate the domestic talent Borthwick needs to harness

For anyone who hasn’t yet watched them, the weekend’s two English Prem semi-finals were brilliant adverts for the sport. The game between Northampton and Leicester fizzed with speed and quality passing. The following day’s encounter between Bath and Exeter involved one of the best fightbacks and tautest finishes imaginable.

The upshot is a Northampton v Exeter final this Saturday, a showpiece with the potential to be just as absorbing. Henry Pollock v Greg Fisilau, Tommy Freeman v Henry Slade, Fin Smith v Harvey Skinner … not to mention two intelligent English coaching teams led, respectively, by Phil Dowson and Sam Vesty, and Rob Baxter and Dave Walder. If the Rugby Football Union is pondering future homegrown alternatives to Steve Borthwick there are some increasingly strong candidates.

Two clubs have emerged from the doldrums to reach the grand final in epic fashion thanks to remaining positive

It is not every day that two teams who finished second and third bottom of the Prem table only 12 months ago make it to a grand final. Regardless of this Saturday’s outcome Northampton and Exeter have shown every club in the league what is doable, with one big caveat. Squad depth and recruitment matter but not as much as the collective desire to stay positive no matter what.

Exeter needed every ounce of grit and resilience at Bath on Saturday as they held out for 41 phases to clinch a sensational 27-26 victory, having trailed 26-10 at half-time. Northampton, similarly, never lost the courage of their convictions against Leicester on Friday night, transcending the occasion to put seven tries past excellent opposition in another thrilling contest.

The Prem’s top points scorer has been rejuvenated this year as the Chiefs look to overturn their fancied hosts Bath in Saturday’s semi-final

It is early afternoon in Exeter and Henry Slade is reflecting on his day so far. As a type 1 diabetic he has already injected himself “four or five times” and a training schedule change has left him playing catchup with his insulin levels. “I had a bit of a stinker today. I had to bang some carbohydrate down me before training but didn’t quite get it right. I was a bit on the low side and didn’t feel very good. I guess it was my fault for not reading the schedule properly.”

Later there will be further injections and more monitoring, none of it stress free for someone who wrestles with obsessive compulsive disorder. Plus, there are the demands of having three daughters under six back at home; the youngest, Delphine, is not yet three months old. After an intensely physical match even changing a nappy can be challenging. “With the last two I’ve spent hours on the floor changing nappies. It’s a nightmare getting up again. We’ve now got nappy-changing tables which are an absolute gamechanger.”