Here is the Exeter Chiefs team to play Toulon in the 2019/20 Champions Cup final at Ashton Gate.
Ten years after elevating themselves into English Rugby’s top tier with victory in Bristol, Rob Baxter’s side will return to their neighbouring Westcountry city tomorrow for what arguably is the biggest game in the history of Exeter Rugby Club.
Months of graft, both on and off the field, will now come down to one fixture as the Chiefs tackle French rivals Racing 92 in the final of the Heineken Champions Cup.
It’s a first-ever European final for the Devonians, who having overcome Glasgow Warriors, La Rochelle and Sale Sharks in the pool stages, then floored Northampton Saints and four-time winners Toulouse in the knock-out stages.
Now, the battle-ready Chiefs must overcome a star-studded Racing outfit in their quest to become the undisputed ‘Kings o
Exeter Chiefs team to play Toulon:
15 Stuart Hogg
14 Jack Nowell
13 Henry Slade
12 Ian Whitten
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds (capt)
9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Harry Williams
4 Jonny Gray
5 Jonny Hill
6 Dave Ewers
7 Jacques Vermeulen
8 Sam Simmonds
14 Jack Nowell
13 Henry Slade
12 Ian Whitten
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds (capt)
9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Harry Williams
4 Jonny Gray
5 Jonny Hill
6 Dave Ewers
7 Jacques Vermeulen
8 Sam Simmonds
16 Jack Yeandle
17 Ben Moon
18 Tomas Francis
19 Sam Skinner
20 Jannes Kirsten
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Ollie Devoto
17 Ben Moon
18 Tomas Francis
19 Sam Skinner
20 Jannes Kirsten
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Ollie Devoto
JOIN THE RUCK:
5 people who should avoid reading Joe Marler’s new autobiography
1. Joe Launchbury
The England ptop, in his section on teammates nicknames, reveals an uncomplimentary one given to the Wasps captain during England duty.
Due to him forever knocking everything over with his backside, the biggest in world rugby, Marler joked 'your ass is like a permanent slosh bucket.'
Long story short, he hated it but is still known as 'Slosh' or 'Slosh bucket' to this day in England training/
2. Gavin Henson
Despite this being another rather funny story from Marler, it also shows the ego of Henson in 2005 was off the scale. Being told to hurry up with his hair by his captain Gareth Thomas, the playmaker showed his skipper little respect.
Henson's reply to Thomas was: "Alf, your mother and father have come to watch you play today, but there are 72,000 out there who have come to watch me."
3. Olly Kohn
One of the hands down best stories from the book comes from a wet and windy away game in Biarritz where Marler thought he might 'freeze to death in a cloud of garlic breath and BO.'
A desperate idea saw the prop piss himself, and after being sussed out by teammate Kohn, the lock joined him, 'piising their pants in unison in an effort to survive.'
The two then promised to never speak about the incident, which Marler apologies for breaking in his book by simply saying 'sorry mate'.
4. Jonny May
This isn't necessarily a negative story about the speedster, but having the fact you take part in WWE like wrestling in your underpants published to the masses probably isn't ideal.
Marler tells a wonderful story of how their epic one-on-one match from behind closed doors was discovered by 2003 World Cup winner and then England coach Mike Catt in 2013.
This resulted in the pair having to wrestle in front of their teammates with May coming out on top after Marler was forced to start on his knees due to his weight advantage.
Marler went onto say: "It was always Jonny who usually tapped out. He was incredibly fit and strong and his wrestling skills were awesome, but being the much chunkier bloke I beat im every time."
Later on, Marler tells the story of May scoring a try for England U20 with his ass off in incredible detail, saying at one point: "I mean, it wasn't just a bit of bum crack or half a cheek poking out. This was full moon."
5. Dwayne Peel
The loosehead prop tells a wonderful story of how the legendary Wales scrum-half, who won 76 caps between 2001 and 2011, got a taste of his own medicine when his pranks became too much for some of his teammates.
"He'd tested his teammates' patience by putting bikes and beans in their (Wales squads) beds." wrote Marler.
"The lads decided to retaliate, with one of them borrowing a sheep from a local farmer and leaving it in Peel's hotel room.
"The flea-ridden sheep had pooed on the carpet before Peel discovered it, and legend has i he was itching for days afterwards."
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