Tom Wyatt scores the Exeter Chiefs' first try when they beat the Stormers 42–17. Photo: Reuters/Andrew Boyers Exeter Chiefs vs. Stormers
Whether it's the last dance or a new dawn, this season is a season of renewal for the Exeter Chiefs and their emphatic European Cup victory deserves a new tune.
On a nostalgic and exciting day against a largely overwhelmed Stormers team, the hosts booked a trip to Bordeaux or Bristol to face either La Rochelle or the Saracens. In doing so, they became the first Premier League team to reach the Champions Cup semi-finals since 2020, when the Chiefs won it all. No wonder Rob Baxter has proclaimed one of his greatest days.
“Personally, I would put him in first place,” said Chiefs Rugby Director. “We achieved something incredible for this rugby club by winning the double [in 2020]. Since then, everyone outside the club has been talking about how the castle is crumbling. My biggest motivation was to make sure it wasn't.
“A game like today confirms that everything is going wrong here. You won't make it to the Champions Cup semi-finals if everything goes wrong. We are not a broken rugby club. We have the DNA within us to overcome adversity, which is why today feels special.”
A combination of old and new formed the basis of a victory that challenged Exeter's internal incoherence. Among their most influential players were Joe and Sam Simmonds, Jack Nowell and Jannes Kirsten; The quartet is heading out this summer. Baxter called Nowell's performance «the best ever played on one foot». En route to La Rochelle, the English flank suffered a knee injury.
😤 Jack Nowell takes the lead.#HeinekenChampionsCup #EXEvSTO pic.twitter.com/sqsfqvDuGv
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby), April 8, 2023
Henry Slade and Ollie Woodburn, who stayed at Sandy Park, are also impressed. Dan Frost, Wasps' mid-season acquisition, drew attention across from a massive front row, and Tom Wyatt could very well be the epitome of the Chiefs' next leg. The 23-year-old cornerback, who just four years ago played in the eighth division for North Petherton, continues to feel at home in the professional ranks; even on the same field as several South African World Cup winners.
Due to travel problems, the Stormers made their way from Cape Town to Devon in crumbs; some of their group via Doha and others via Dubai. Due to delays, they have two training sessions left on English soil ahead of matchday. John Dobson's men, the holders of the Rugby United Championship, vowed not to use these professional disappointments with the expanded tournament as an excuse. In any case, having lost a stubborn rower behind Deon Fourier due to a broken eye socket, they were under pressure from the very beginning.
In the 13th minute, Exeter distributed the ball to their 22nd through Joe Simmonds and Slade, who made a sliding pass to clear Woodburn. Joe Simmonds passed to Wyatt and calmly converted the ball. Late in the first quarter, after 50:22 off Joe Simmonds, Nowell popped up to squirm over the edges of the ruck. It was a fairy tale, a retrospective.
Rob Baxter praises Tom Wyatt, but is ready 'to take the pain'
Frans Malherbe gave the Stormers a penalty in the scrum for almost an hour. This only resulted in a group of errors. Mani Libbock missed a touch and Damian Willems stumbled into Slade's clearance path. This led to a lineout from which Frost ferried the ball into midfield. Sean O'Brien ran up to him, hunched over comfortably because Malherbe was protecting his tail. An inside pass allowed Woodburn to bounce back.
A 21-0 win at half-time, preserved by Wyatt's second unfortunate loss and Nowell's bold tackle on Ernst van Rijn, would have surpassed Exeter's most ambitious predictions. The genius Dobson admitted that the Stormers «missed.» He called for next year's schedule to be revised — ideally to ease travel uncertainty — but predicted the European Cup would become increasingly expensive for South African fans.
Willemse pulled ahead early in the second period, but the Chiefs rebounded and proved to be the more experienced team as Sam Simmonds pushed his way to the front. Half an hour before the end, Willemse significantly reduced the gap. The Stormers have gained momentum. Exeter would have been relieved if Ruhan Nel had not been allowed a quick finish, but Suleiman Hartzenburg quickly made it 28–10. Nowell hobbled away, and Sandy Park was nervous for about five minutes.
🔪 Sam Simmonds!
What a phrase from the number eight. 💪#HeinekenChampionsCup #EXEvSTO pic.twitter.com/hE5Yf2NDwl
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 8, 2023
Josh Iosefa-Scott's jackal settled in Exeter and a scrum penalty allowed Slade to close the corner. The muscular hammer ended the fight, Jack Yendl came out with the ball. Marvin Ory got the Stormers' consolation, but Tom Cairns, one of two young midfielders in Will Beckonsall's scrimmage, finished him off.
Exeter will look at the last quarter-final with a smile. A semi-final against the Saracens at Ashton Gate, where the Chiefs won the 2020 European Cup, would be amazing. After this streak of their greatest hits, they will want pop music in La Rochelle as well.
“It's a win-win for us,” Baxter added. “We have appeared in France in the past. If the Saracens win, we can also say: this is an old enemy. We have good memories of Ashton Gate and will get a lot of support there"
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