Rise of the Chiefs

The Exeter chiefs are fast becoming one of the most forward-thinking and fan-friendly clubs on and off the pitch and with plans to develop their already excellent set up they are showing they have the credentials to operate on the big stage. Exeter enter their third year in the Premiership having gone from strength to strength. Premiership survival has since been eclipsed by narrowly missing out on a top 4 finish and with players like Tom Johnson getting international recognition the Chiefs are showing the Premiership they mean business!

Off the Pitch

Funded by their Chief Executive Tony Rowe, the Chiefs have seen a complete transformation over the past 12 years. The days of playing at the County Ground have long been forgotten with the ever impressive Sandy Park. Sitting mightily above the M5 the £15 million purpose built 10,500 seater stadium is one of the best grounds in the Premiership. Add to that the expansion plans submitted to double the capacity of Sandy Park and you start to see Tony Rowe’s blue print all those years ago.

The Exeter story is even more impressive as many sides struggle to survive their first year in top flight rugby due to the constraints placed upon them by the RFU. The £1.2million central funding given to the promoted team is almost half of what the other clubs earn in the Premiership. This hardly levels the playing field for a team who have just worked so hard to gain promotion. It is clear Exeter used the money wisely. They invested in international players such as Ignacio Mieres, Sireli Naqelevuki, and Jason Shoemark whilst also tying down their English contingent notably Tom Johnson, Matt Jess and crowd favourite Chris Budgen. Rowe also utilises Sandy Park for business ventures outside of rugby which added to the central funding figure has made survival more manageable. A state-of-the-art conference and banqueting centre sits proudly on the site alongside a newly developed gymnasium complex.  

On the Pitch

Success off the field has also been matched on the field. A highly successful coaching team and squad have been assembled and it has operated at the highest level from day one. If a 22-10 victory over Gloucester in their first game wasn’t enough to convince the rugby world that Exeter meant business. a narrow loss to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road where they scored 27 points certainly had heads turning. Victories over Saracens and Northampton also followed, which heralded one of the best seasons for a newly promoted side. The following season, Exeter continued their good form and were unlucky not to finish in the top 4, narrowly missing out to Northampton Saints. Tom Johnson received a well deserved international call up and players like Matt Jess, Haydn Thomas and James Scaysbrook put their markers down for international inclusion.

Fast forward to this season and with inclusion in the Heineken Cup the Chiefs are still moving in the right direction. Add Australian second row Dean Mumm to the equation and on paper they are a very tough side to beat. A thumping win against a strong looking Sale side was followed by 2 narrow losses to Northampton and London Welsh. They have since bounced back with a victory over Saracens and a loss to Leicester. A mixed bag of results you might say, but performances from the likes of Matt Jess will have Stuart Lancaster thinking very hard about any changes he will make to his EPS squad. 

The Biggest Test Yet

I would also point out that I feel continued success could come at a price this season. Despite the obvious positives happening at Sandy Park I would say that this season will be the measure of Exeter Chiefs. They have been remarkably lucky with injuries over the past few seasons and without large volumes of international call-ups they have fielded a largely unchanged side week in and week out. With added fixtures in the Heineken Cup and LV Cup along with key player/players missing for the November Internationals and Six Nations it is going to be a very long season. Look no further than their fixtures starting from 23^rd Sept. Saracens at home, Leicester away, Harlequins at home, Leinster away and then Clermont at home. Add to that a popped rib cartilage for Tom Johnson and you start to see how consistency may falter. 

I am sure each and every player and coach will give 110% in every game they play, but I feel Exeter must be realistic and target success where it is most achievable. I would love to be proved wrong but I cannot see them beating Leinster and Clermont home or away which automatically rules them out of the competition. We all know Chiefs are destined for success, so use the Heineken Cup as a building block to give players experience of playing on the biggest stage. Use the LV Cup to blood the academy players and concentrate on a top 4 finish in the Aviva Premiership.