5 things we learned from the Aviva Premiership final

27 May 2017 05:39

Exeter Chiefs slugged their way to a maiden Aviva Premiership title thanks to a 23-20 victory over Wasps after extra time in Saturday's final at Twickenham.

Here, Press Association Sport examines five key lessons from the Chiefs' dramatic triumph.

EXETER PROVIDE THE BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Seven years on from promotion, Exeter Chiefs are England's champions. Not through big-money signings, showy stars or flash-in-the-pan developments. A Devon heartbeat thumps right through Exeter's core, from chairman Tony Rowe down to the latest hugely promising academy graduate Sam Simmonds. This is the day that homespun lost any negative connotations. But do not be fooled, Exeter are not run on a shoestring either. Steady, measured growth has allowed a canny board to move them forward in the same way that their teak-tough pack will pick and go round the corner all day long if opponents let them. Match-winner Gareth Steenson, Ben Moon and Phil Dollman were all on hand when Exeter won Premiership promotion seven years back. That they are still integral performers underscores Exeter's every success. A board built in the team's image, and vice versa. Now that they have arrived, Exeter have the wherewithal and the resources to stay at the top.

ROB BAXTER SHOULD BE ENGLAND'S NEXT HEAD COACH

England have made no secret of their succession planning for Eddie Jones' expected departure after the 2019 World Cup. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) wants Australian Jones' eventual replacement to boast overseas coaching experience. The likes of Exeter boss Baxter have already railed against that demand. The Exeter stalwart rightly points out the huge risk of a man like him moving lock, stock to somewhere like France. And frankly, why should the former back-row forward coach any other club side? The Chiefs' dogged and maiden Premiership title comes just seven years on from their first foray into the top flight itself. Who needs overseas experience when you can build a bunch of winners from the ground up? Baxter knows how to build teams to command every facet of the game. The RFU should line him up now.

JACK NOWELL MUST START IN THE BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS' TEST TEAM

The teak-tough Cornish wing spent the first quarter of the match limping due to a right-leg issue, but quickly shook that off to produce a classic finish for Exeter's first try. The tattooed fisherman's son is both workhorse and star turn, offering Lions coach Warren Gatland the ideal balance to face the All Blacks on the three-Test New Zealand tour. His relentless power continued to tell right through extra time too, as further proof of his genuine class. Whether cutting off his wing to drive through the midfield or scything home to finish on a neat line, Nowell must surely be in Gatland's Test XV.

JAMES HASKELL IS NOT QUITE AT FULL SPEED AFTER NASTY TOE INJURY

Last summer Wasps flanker Haskell was England's man of the series, despite playing just two of the three Tests in the whitewashing of Australia. The gritty back-rower reached new heights, only to be laid low by a toe problem that proved far more severe than first thought. That injury has ravaged half this season as well for Haskell but now the experienced campaigner is not only back in full swing, he's also heading to the Lions tour as an injury replacement for Billy Vunipola. Haskell rightly wants to throw everything at forcing his way into Gatland's Test team but, on this evidence, he looks several weeks shy of hitting his peak. The renowned fitness freak will doubtless leave no stone unturned in that quest, however.

THE PREMIERSHIP MUST NEVER BE RING-FENCED

Seven years ago Exeter had not even set foot in a top-flight match. Five years ago Wasps safeguarded their very future by avoiding relegation. Now the two clubs are at the top of the English game, and both are undoubtedly better for their respective experiences of promotion and relegation. Talk of building a more rounded club game often turns to expanding the Premiership to 14 clubs and doing away with promotion and relegation. But ring-fencing the league would hand future Exeters an unjust glass ceiling. The homespun Chiefs have risen the right way, maximising local talent all the while. Wasps, meanwhile, realised their flirtations with relegation had to force change. Their Ricoh Arena move has been so successful as to restore the club's financial powers and lure a glut of world stars to Coventry.

Source: PA