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

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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.

That was suicidal.

Well. Not much you can say about that

This is a bonkers game. It’s a mixture of great stuff and brain farts

A high scoring end to end game suits Racing. This is increasingly looking like it will be a tight game.

tigertattie wrote:Well. Not much you can say about that

Yeah you can. It was classic Finn Russell. 3 Exeter tries, 21 points, directly from his errors now. Unforced errors, too.

rugby racing and beer wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Well. Not much you can say about that

Yeah you can. It was classic Finn Russell. 3 Exeter tries, 21 points, directly from his errors now. Unforced errors, too.

Wow you really have a chip on your shoulder with Russell eh. Did he pish on your cornflakes once or something?

His intercept was a hospital pass but the fumble on his own line wasn’t his fault, the service he got on the pass was stinking. He’s not a finished player but neither is he this error ridden madman that you keep trying to push him to be

Glad that Devoto has come on. Whitten is a good player but Devoto adds to the Chiefs attack.

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

Quite the opposite. His refusal to referee the offside line nor much if the breakdown is helping Racing significantly.

Hoggy made a very good turnover at the breakdown there but overall he has been really poor in defence today.

Jonny Hills hit on Russell was important there. Potentially turned 7 points into 3.

Don’t worry. We’re about to get more structure. Here comes Beale

Oh look calls advantage over but it isn’t. And the last sequence is even more hilarious

And if that isn’t a yellow caed

I mean zebo off for Beale seems bizarre.

Beale and imhoff need to run directly at Whitton here

Machenaud Got in the road there.

Game over. Racing win this now. Pen try. Yellow.

Maybe not a pen try. Should still be game set and match.

I hate the deliberate knock on rule. If you pat it down it’s a penalty but it’s instinct to try get the ball when it’s like that

Absolute rubbish from Owens there. Luckily the Tmo is on the ball

Was that not going with two hands. Only one hand makes contact with the ball.

Racing will win this game. Owens will make sure.

Hate how often Owen's calls hands away and then gives a pen for a turnover. Twice in the last 10 mins.

Discipline and defence from chiefs there

Unbelievable defence from Exeter in that situation.

He just called hands away Ruck. Can’t have a British ref with a British team. Completely biased

The tmo and refs assistant said sack was immediate. This is cheating. Totally

This is farcical that is 100% 80 minutes and game over.

Well done Exeter

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:The tmo and refs assistant said sack was immediate. This is cheating. Totally

I know, they did everything possible to ensure a Racing victory but Brave Exeter overcame.

Bizarre bizarre game.

Knock on penalties. Odd hands away then penalty calls. Time going dead when it’s not dead.

Not how you want to see the final end but a great win for Exeter. Deserved winners of the double in a strange season that they can still look back on with great pride.

Absolute disgraceful from Owens. It is plain and simple cheating. Totally tainted and undeserved

Biased and one sided.

Well deserved win in the end. Exeter were unbelievably unlucky in that last 20 mins. They had Racing on the backfoot and were constantly threatening to make the killer blow and then Nige completely ignores a high tackle when the ball comes loose. Francis's yellow card was a horrible decision, that should never be a cardable offence.

Still, deserved in the end. Just about. They put the hard yards in and in the end it paid off with that final defensive set. Russell and Beale managed to somehow botch a 4 on 2 with the tryline begging but it took excellent defensive discipline and a somewhat borderline turnover but Nige is Nige, there were plenty of those through the full 80.

A well deserved conclusion to what has been the most amazing story in rugby. 10 years, from Championship to Champions of Europe. Amazing.

Well done Exeter - well deserved.

Unbelievable. It’s time to ensure that British refs do not referee British Teams. Despite the fact racing completely outplayed Exeter Owens just gifted the game to Exeter. Totally tainted.

tigertattie wrote:

rugby racing and beer wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Well. Not much you can say about that

Yeah you can. It was classic Finn Russell. 3 Exeter tries, 21 points, directly from his errors now. Unforced errors, too.

Wow you really have a chip on your shoulder with Russell eh. Did he pish on your cornflakes once or something?

His intercept was a hospital pass but the fumble on his own line wasn’t his fault, the service he got on the pass was stinking. He’s not a finished player but neither is he this error ridden madman that you keep trying to push him to be

Nope, if I have a chip it's to do with the nonsense I've been subjected to on here for giving my honest opinion on him. He was responsible for 21 points to the other team today, very nearly 28, and in fact threw an intercept on his own 22 that gave Exeter a scoring opportunity. He's not as good as the Scots like to believe, that's all. I'm glad it showed today - not sure why no one else sees it/makes crazy excuses. There are only so many times you can pretend there's nothing to say about the fact he's a liability (and definitely not the best fly half in the world, as someone claimed!). You should just try reading what I wrote about him instead of creating a strawman of my assessment of him. Anyone, glad it showed today. I wanted Exeter to win because of their whole ethos. Russell giving away 21 points is just the iron clad evidence I needed that he's a good club player, not a test player, and should be nowhere near the Lions starting test team.

Exeter didn’t deserve anything. It was handed on a plate by Ibarren and Owens.

I tell you though, Exeter didn't box clever at all. It's a final, not some mid season Premiership game, kick your goals and play territory when necessary.

They were somewhat fortunate, they are all or nothing. Even at the end there, I was shouting at the telly 'kick for the corner!'.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:Exeter didn’t deserve anything. It was handed on a plate by Ibarren and Owens.

You're sounding very salty. Have a pint and relax.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Game over. Racing win this now. Pen try. Yellow.

Great call.

Well.... a thrilling final.
I thought Sam the Spaniard came in from the side when he won the penalty on Exeter's line.
Should Racing have gone for a drop goal?
From a Scottish point of view ; Hogg was pretty anonymous, Jonny Gray didn't make a conclusive case for Lions inclusion, if Nigel penalises Sam the Spaniard Finn Russell comes off as the best 10 in the NH.
For me Imhoff was the best player on the pitch.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:The tmo and refs assistant said sack was immediate. This is cheating. Totally

What a way to spend your weekend...LARPing on the internet.

rugby racing and beer wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

rugby racing and beer wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Well. Not much you can say about that

Yeah you can. It was classic Finn Russell. 3 Exeter tries, 21 points, directly from his errors now. Unforced errors, too.

Wow you really have a chip on your shoulder with Russell eh. Did he pish on your cornflakes once or something?

His intercept was a hospital pass but the fumble on his own line wasn’t his fault, the service he got on the pass was stinking. He’s not a finished player but neither is he this error ridden madman that you keep trying to push him to be

Nope, if I have a chip it's to do with the nonsense I've been subjected to on here for giving my honest opinion on him. He was responsible for 21 points to the other team today, very nearly 28, and in fact threw an intercept on his own 22 that gave Exeter a scoring opportunity. He's not as good as the Scots like to believe, that's all. I'm glad it showed today - not sure why no one else sees it/makes crazy excuses. There are only so many times you can pretend there's nothing to say about the fact he's a liability (and definitely not the best fly half in the world, as someone claimed!). You should just try reading what I wrote about him instead of creating a strawman of my assessment of him. Anyone, glad it showed today. I wanted Exeter to win because of their whole ethos. Russell giving away 21 points is just the iron clad evidence I needed that he's a good club player, not a test player, and should be nowhere near the Lions starting test team.

TBH when I saw you were the last person to comment on this thread I assumed it would be an anti Finn Russell comment despite Exeter winning a fantastic victory. It was a much closer match than I expected so fair play to Exeter for managing to hold out and take the win. I've held my tongue for a while but you need to understand, you opinions on FR as a player are provocative. No other poster on here is saying anything close to what you are about him. Kindly stop it please, thanks.

I'd have to agree with Geen. Exeter got some very friendly reffing at the end. The turnover close to the 5 metres should have been a pen the other way. Pleased for exeter though.

rugby racing and beer wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

rugby racing and beer wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Well. Not much you can say about that

Yeah you can. It was classic Finn Russell. 3 Exeter tries, 21 points, directly from his errors now. Unforced errors, too.

Wow you really have a chip on your shoulder with Russell eh. Did he pish on your cornflakes once or something?

His intercept was a hospital pass but the fumble on his own line wasn’t his fault, the service he got on the pass was stinking. He’s not a finished player but neither is he this error ridden madman that you keep trying to push him to be

Nope, if I have a chip it's to do with the nonsense I've been subjected to on here for giving my honest opinion on him. He was responsible for 21 points to the other team today, very nearly 28, and in fact threw an intercept on his own 22 that gave Exeter a scoring opportunity. He's not as good as the Scots like to believe, that's all. I'm glad it showed today - not sure why no one else sees it/makes crazy excuses. There are only so many times you can pretend there's nothing to say about the fact he's a liability (and definitely not the best fly half in the world, as someone claimed!). You should just try reading what I wrote about him instead of creating a strawman of my assessment of him. Anyone, glad it showed today. I wanted Exeter to win because of their whole ethos. Russell giving away 21 points is just the iron clad evidence I needed that he's a good club player, not a test player, and should be nowhere near the Lions starting test team.

Well clearly you are far more knowledgable than the panel of rugby professionals that put Russell up for the European Player of the year. I’ll bow to your much more valued opinion and leave you to it

Great win for Exeter, well deserved. What a journey for them over the last decade. Racing were lucky to get so close...they were only in the final anyway because of Barritt's injury.

Look I’m not going to detail Owens mistakes in the last 15 mins but mishearing your Assistent ref and tmo to give a penalty. Saying rucks formed and then giving a penalty (twice). Calling advantage over for a knock on but it wasn’t. They are just the obvious ones.

Hey if your happy with that’s fine. But don’t kid yourself. It has always been the case that having a British ref with non British teams is a mistake. It shouldn’t happen. Alan Quinlan has just gone over all these just now on Irish tv. Clear as day.

They weren’t 50 50 decisions either. Owens choose to ignore simple

No 7&1/2 wrote:I'd have to agree with Geen. Exeter got some very friendly reffing at the end. The turnover close to the 5 metres should have been a pen the other way. Pleased for exeter though.

Racing had sealed off multiple times before that though ...

Owens always allows teams to seal off. Same as the lazy rolling. Very consistent. Perhaps you could say hes consistent in making verbal calls then changing his mind but if hes influencing play by his calls he shouldn't be!