European Champions Cup Final - Exeter Chiefs v Racing 92 Saturday 17th October 2020

Exeter Chiefs v Racing 92

European Champions Cup Final
Ashton Gate
Bristol

KO 16.45
Live on BT Sport


Hard not to argue that the two best sides are not in the final this year and it could be a fabulous match up of styles with the result very hard to call.

The attacking verve of the Parisians, who really can score from anywhere against the hard nosed defence and relentless pressure that Exeter can place on any side, there should be plenty for the fans and the neutrals to enjoy.

For me, the heart says Racing, with Finn Russel's brilliance breaking Exeter's hearts, but the head says the brutal pragmatism of Exeter will grind the French down and win the day.

I'm really looking forward to this one, like you said BigGee - a great match up of styles and plenty of quality in each team.

I can't look past Exeter either - I think it will be close enough for 60, but can see them ending up quite comfortable winners in the end.

Comes down to the first 20 mins for me.

If Exeter can contain the attacks of Racing and keep them out for the first 20, then I see them slowly strangling Racing to defeat. The Racing pack isnt too shabby but they will tire quicker than the West Country men.

If Racing go into half time with a 5+ point lead, their tails will be up and they'll keep fired up to the end.

Racing have had a Covid outbreak that, while is not supposed to put the final in doubt, has meant thatthey had to cancel a T14 match and stop team training.

LondonTiger wrote:Racing have had a Covid outbreak that, while is not supposed to put the final in doubt, has meant thatthey had to cancel a T14 match and stop team training.

Could Exeter win both finals via Covid? Racing have had an outbreak and previously cancelled a game. Wasps have confirmed positive cases and suspended training for this week.

I thought the two best sides played in the semi finals and Exeter won comfortably.

For those without BT Sport - also live in Channel 4 in the UK.

Racing played last Saturday and lost to Tolouse with a mostly junior/B team side.

Racing have got the all clear to play, no more Covid cases

I am principally here for the regular squadron of posters who habitually queue up to profess Finn Russell as rubbish/flakey/over-rated/not Lions quality/insufficiently experienced/a One Trick Pony.

I hope for his sake that he has a decent game as Received Wisdom about players for ever and ever and ever usually crystalises from a couple of moments in matches like these.

Hello GC, always nice when a newbie puts in an appearance on these posts.

I'm looking forwards to this match with what might be called mixed emotions: as Les Dawson said, "Mixed emotions; like watching your mother in law drive off a cliff in your brand new car."

From a Glasgow perspective; Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg and Jonny Gray all came through the ranks at Scotstoun and all three could easily be in contention for Player Of The Match. The fact that they would be watching the game from their sofas if they had stayed at Glasgow saddens me no end.

From a travelling fan's perspective I just love the city of Exeter and the Chiefs' fans. Their hospitality is second to none. I would love to see an Exeter victory just for their fans. Sadly, I really don't enjoy watching teams who score 40+% of their tries from pick and drives less than 5 metres from the line. Barry John, Mike Gibson, John Rutherford ruined me for the unrelenting pick and go.

I think it could be a cracker of a match. I felt the deciding factor in the Racing v Cheating North Londoners semi was that one team obviously focussed on their blitz defence nullifying their opponents and the other team trusted that their attacking elan would win out in the end. If Rob Baxter sends his men out to smother Racing's flair players and look to kick penalties to the corner and score from maul- pick- drive-repeat...I think they'll come unstuck. But then they might just frustrate the Frenchies to self destruction. What do I know?

jimbopip wrote:I think it could be a cracker of a match. I felt the deciding factor in the Racing v Cheating North Londoners semi was that one team obviously focussed on their blitz defence nullifying their opponents and the other team trusted that their attacking elan would win out in the end. If Rob Baxter sends his men out to smother Racing's flair players and look to kick penalties to the corner and score from maul- pick- drive-repeat...I think they'll come unstuck. But then they might just frustrate the Frenchies to self destruction. What do I know?

That's the Chiefs way. Give them a penalty and they'll stick it in the corner and back their set piece to deliver possession. French discipline isn't always the best so it'll be interesting to see the ref's interpretation. As the penalties mount something has to give. Tiring for a team to defend close to their line for an extended time. Chiefs rarely kick for goal from penalties, I don't think this game will be any different.

Be good to see a final where both sides just want to score tries. I'm a big fan of Russell and think the period in France has seen him develop his game. He's always been able to do the miracle bit of skill but his game management and defence has come on and he's a pretty well rounded player. I'm interested to see how Joe Simmonds goes up against him, very different styles of flyhalf but the 23 year old Chief (and Devon native) will be captaining his team and surely in England colours sooner rather than later. He's very composed for a young flyhalf and has all the bits to his game that Russell has had to work on, he'll need to show he's got some of the creative magic Russell has in spades though to further enhance his reputation.

Fair points, Formerly, I think that the game will be decided by the ref. The breakdown and the scrum need to be squeaky clean for Racing: if they bleed penalties there then it could be a very long afternoon for them.
If Russell gets lots of ball then Racing should get the upper hand.

Racing's young and gigantic tight head more than held his own against Mako in the semi. IF they can get a few scrum penalties and get 6 or 9 points ahead and so force the Chiefs to chase the game, it may be Racing's day.
If the French get bested at scrum time then expect the kick to corner, lineout catch, maul, score and repeat with victory going to the men from the south west/ west end. Nice to think that the scrum can still be a vital part of the game (just ask Leinster after their annihilation in the QF).
PS. hope its a dry day so we can see some great attacking rugby.

One team will try to play rugby. The other will try to get five metres from the opponent line by any means possible and then impersonate a jcb for five minutes at a time. I hope they win (the jcb) but feic they’re boring

I do not buy this that exeter are boring. They play to their stengths but how they get to close to the line is not just by pick and goes and nine man rugby

They are the English team I follow for a variety of reasons and have done so since I saw them play at Scotstoun a few years back. The fans are great, they do not rely on deficit funding, they play hard and fair and of course they are now Scotlands 3rd pro team having pinched a load of our best players! Baxter is a fantastic coach and I love his willingness to speak his mind. No media friendly platitudes from him

But then Racing play a fantastic brand of entertaining rugby and have finn!

I just hope for a good game that is a entertaining spectacle and they don't break any of the scots!

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:One team will try to play rugby. The other will try to get five metres from the opponent line by any means possible and then impersonate a jcb for five minutes at a time. I hope they win (the jcb) but feic they’re boring

Exeter have no qualms about playing from further out and using their backs. If Racing kick poorly then Exeter can and will run it back. Their half backs will mix play, they won't just kick and contest until they can get a penalty.

They are a carefully structured team but so are Leinster. They have to be as they don't have the cash to go and buy a star studded side.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:One team will try to play rugby. The other will try to get five metres from the opponent line by any means possible and then impersonate a jcb for five minutes at a time. I hope they win (the jcb) but feic they’re boring

Exeter have no qualms about playing from further out and using their backs. If Racing kick poorly then Exeter can and will run it back. Their half backs will mix play, they won't just kick and contest until they can get a penalty.

They are a carefully structured team but so are Leinster. They have to be as they don't have the cash to go and buy a star studded side.

That is nonsense. The Exeter squad is as expensive as any other in the Premiership. I am sure The likes of Hogg do not come cheap.

TJ wrote:I do not buy this that exeter are boring.  They play to their stengths but how they get to close to the line is not just by pick and goes and nine man rugby

They are the English team I follow for a variety of reasons and have done so since I saw them play at Scotstoun a few years back.  The fans are great, they do not rely on deficit funding, they play hard and fair and of course they are now Scotlands 3rd pro team having pinched a load of our best players!  Baxter is a fantastic coach and I love his willingness to speak his mind.  No media friendly platitudes from him

But then Racing play a fantastic brand of entertaining rugby and have finn!

I just hope for a good game that is a entertaining spectacle and they don't break any of the scots!

No they have overpriced sponsorship from SW Comms very like Manchester City’s model. It is deficit funding in all but name.

Hope Exeter win. I can see them pulling away around the hour mark.

Exeter by 15.

George Carlin wrote:I am principally here for the regular squadron of posters who habitually queue up to profess Finn Russell as rubbish/flakey/over-rated/not Lions quality/insufficiently experienced/a One Trick Pony.

I hope for his sake that he has a decent game as Received Wisdom about players for ever and ever and ever usually crystalises from a couple of moments in matches like these.  

Haha I'll take that as a barb at me so let's hope a proper team shows what he can and can't do playing on the back foot (a key attribute for any Lions 10, for instance).

formerly known as Sam wrote:

jimbopip wrote:I think it could be a cracker of a match. I felt the deciding factor in the Racing v Cheating North Londoners semi was that one team obviously focussed on their blitz defence nullifying their opponents and the other team trusted that their attacking elan would win out in the end. If Rob Baxter sends his men out to smother Racing's flair players and look to kick penalties to the corner and score from maul- pick- drive-repeat...I think they'll come unstuck. But then they might just frustrate the Frenchies to self destruction. What do I know?

That's the Chiefs way. Give them a penalty and they'll stick it in the corner and back their set piece to deliver possession. French discipline isn't always the best so it'll be interesting to see the ref's interpretation. As the penalties mount something has to give. Tiring for a team to defend close to their line for an extended time. Chiefs rarely kick for goal from penalties, I don't think this game will be any different.

Just on that point it is funny to see the Chiefs labelled as negative when, you're quite right, they rarely kick for the posts.

I think Finn has had plenty of practice on the back foot for Scotland!

TJ wrote:I think Finn has had plenty of practice on the back foot for Scotland!

Absolutely but people come to wildly different interpretations of his worth/qualities from that!

Is it me our is there a bit of a kit clash?

It's not you. Exeter have a black kit as well.

The camera work from Channel 4 is stinking.

This has been an astonishingly poor start from Racing.

If they can come out of this without Chief scoring again they will be very lucky.

This going to be a massacre if Racing don't sort themselves out, Exeter will not let up.

They have Russell so they're in the game.

Finn Russell box of tricks again

That was beautiful.

Why no yellow card? If it was a penalty, they were on a team warning.

You have to commend Exeter's attacking endeavour, but surely they need to take penalties when on offer? Should be 17-5.

Oh dear. Exeter caught sleeping

Looked like a definite forward pass in the build up there.

Magic from Russell but Racing seem intent on self destruction. Their nine is playing so ineptly that I half expect one of his forwards to "accidentally " collide with him and send him off for a HIA.

Owen's doesn't notice the lazy rolling from the tackler very much.

He seems to have calmed down a bit. Racing were waving Machenaud at him which seems to have given him a bit of a wake up

Not wishing to labour the point I made earlier in the week but both Chiefs tries were from the forwards and both Racing tries had moments of sublime skill.

Chiefs needed that. They weren't getting points on the board to show for their opportunities in the Racing 22. Unusual for Chiefs but 9 points is a significant lead at half time in a final.

Great try for Exeter, I think that decides the game as this was Racing's golden period. I expect them to have a big go after half time but unless they get 14 unanswered points I think this is game over.

Finn watch: one try directly from a fumbled ball in his own try zone (nearly directly, resulting try came from scrum). One crossfield kick own half led to a break that was only a dropped ball away from a try. And now one grubber kick charged down which led to a hack through and then a 5m lineout that produced a try.

I've got to be honest, for as good as he is in attack when his forwards are clearly dominant as they were in that second quarter, I don't see what ther people are seeing. Or, rather, I see things that other people aren't. Liability.

Anyway, Exeter have weathered the storm perfectly. They'll have to do it again after half time but the scoreline is ideal.

jimbopip wrote:Not wishing to labour the point I made earlier in the week but both Chiefs tries were from the forwards  and both Racing tries had moments of sublime skill.

The field position for them came due to moments of sublime error from first Iribaren (quick lineout) and then Finn (fumble in his own dead ball) though. Trying to play everything has its ups and downs.

I like seeing a final of different styles personally. If all teams played the same way it'd be bleeding boring.

Racing's game plan seems to be 'give it to Finn', if he can't create something straight away they seem to run out of ideas and lose direction.  

If you're a betting man (or woman) you have to tip Exeter here, Racing will have at least one player in the bin in the second half (I'm amazed they haven't already, how many times do they have to kill the ball on their own line?).  Also Exeter are like a punishing fitness test, they are relentless and (without resorting to cliche) Top 14 is renowned for their poor conditioning.  

If Racing can't bring the maelstrom at the start of the second half they will punch themselves out and Exeter will merciless squeeze them and get a comfortable victory.

You don't get extra points for scoring through the backs. Particularly not if you score in the corner and miss the conversion...

That looks a yellow.

Lucky.

Cumbrian, a very astute analysis. Thanks.
Racing need to get points on the board quickly. If Cheifs can keep Racing in their own half for long periods then the cup should be heading to Devon.

British ref lets British team off the hook

Exeter look naive at times with their tactics, surely the kick into the Racing 22 was the obvious correct option...

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:British ref lets British team off the hook

Are you kidding? Racing are into to double digits for penalties, including about half a dozen on their own line.