Exeter Chiefs won a game against Stormers on Saturday, so now they will move forward to play the semi-finals of Champions Cup either against La Rochelle or Saracens.
Rob Baxter, Exeter’s Director of Rugby, was very pleased with their win in the quarter-finals, but he also knew that Stormers did not have enough time to prepare properly due to some travel issues. He said this problem should be fixed in the future.
For the first time, teams from South Africa have been competing in the Champions Cup this season and two of them – Stormers and Sharks – even made it to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, neither team could proceed any further because Sharks were defeated by Toulouse and Stormers lost to Exeter. Nevertheless, the Chiefs team still managed to get a semi-final spot after they won their match against 42-17.
Exeter won big in their quarter-final match against Stormers, while Toulouse beat the Sharks to advance to the Champions Cup semifinals.
Home advantage was given to teams higher in the rankings, so when Exeter and Montpellier battled it out, Stormers didn’t know their location until April 2nd. If Montpellier had won, they would have been playing them at home instead.
Baxter said: “We know that the Stormers didn’t have the best preparation, but it’s been like this when you go over there. It’s a tough situation in playoff games and knockout stages when lots of games are closing in and everybody is uncertain.”
We might face some difficulty if our team goes to France for the semi-final match against La Rochelle, as we need to quickly book a hotel, flights and all other essential things just in a few weeks.
It’s easier for some people to go to France, but we need to make things the same and fair for everyone. That means fixing any kind of anomalies, like when one team has more home fixtures in a row than the other teams – like what is happening with Leinster.
When asked what can be done to solve their problem, Baxter replied: “I’m not sure. We’ll need to think of ways to separate the different rounds.”
Exeter Chiefs Players Working Together for a Great Farewell to Departing Members
Sam Simmonds, who recently scored a try against the Stormers, is planning to leave Exeter and move to Montpellier at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Henry Slade, an England and Exeter rugby centre player, said in an interview with the SportNewsCenter’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast that he and his fellow players have a big motivation to give departing Chiefs players a nice farewell when they leave Sandy Park.
Baxter said: “It’s great for people to have their own reasons for wanting to achieve something, but for teams to succeed, everyone needs to be motivated together. You can’t just rely on a few people – the whole team has to be working together and inspired for it to work.”
Today we saw a team that was truly connected on an emotional level. Many of them want to win for their own personal success. They are young and it’s only natural for them to want to achieve great things and win trophies!
But it’s important to remember that the senior players should also be playing to give the younger players on their team a chance to shine and begin their journeys too!
“Everyone who is leaving has been here for a long time, and they had older players who helped them and gave them great memories. Now they have to help the younger guys find success too.”
On Sunday, Exeter will find out who they’ll face in the semi-final of the Champions Cup, which could be either La Rochelle or Saracens.
If Saracens advance, the game for the last four teams will be held in Ashton Gate in Bristol. But if La Rochelle wins, then Exeter will have to travel to France for their semi-final game in April at the end of the month.
