Premiership final 2019: Rob Baxter has no reason to rise to Chris Boyd’s ‘boring Exeter’ jibe – it’s nonsense
Saracems have put up with accusations of being boring for years, so Baxter should take Boyd’s comments as a compliment and acceptance that the two finalists are in a league of their own
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Your support makes all the difference.As sure as death and taxes it was only a matter of time until someone floated the notion that Exeter Chiefs are boring.
Last week Northampton Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd, speaking without a hint of irony, was the latest to play the card by stating his team played with “more optimism” than Chiefs, after Rob Baxter’s men ran in 12 tries and chalked up 82 points against his in two matches played on consecutive weekends.
Let’s just say it lacked a bit of self-awareness. It was of course nonsense.
Strangely, Baxter bit on the sticks of wet celery this week when he hit back at Boyd’s barb by calling on critics of his side’s playing style to “open their eyes”.
He may as well have called on them to look at the Gallagher Premiership table.
If scoring 89 tries in 22 matches, 12 more than their nearest rivals Saracens and 20 more than Boyd’s Saints, who were so comprehensively thrashed both times they played Chiefs in recent weeks it highlighted again the gaping chasm in quality in the Premiership, then Chiefs are indeed boring.
In Henry Slade, Jack Nowell, Joe Simmonds and Ollie Devoto, Chiefs possess some of the most exciting and smartest young English rugby players of their generation, with footballing skills to match their rugby wit.
Throw in Santiago Cordero, Alex Cuthbert, Tom O’Flaherty, Nic White and Ollie Woodburn, to name a few, and Chiefs attacking options are healthy and obvious.
On Saturday, they will contest their fourth consecutive Premiership final, three of which have been played against Saturday’s opponents; Saracens. Boring? Ah, now that’s a different conversation.
But to suggest Chiefs’ playing style, based as it is on rugby’s fundamental principles of a solid set piece, well-organised defence, relentless physicality, accurate kicking, retaining possession and accurate passing is boring, is to suggest the sport itself is.
For years Saracens had to put up with this. Unable to land a blow on English rugby’s top side, others sought to bring them down by labelling them dull and predictable.
Now Exeter, who finished top of the Premiership table by eight points, are having to suffer the same. If you put yourselves up there to be shot at...
It was a shame Baxter felt the need to respond to Boyd’s silly post-match attack this week. Understandably irritated, Baxter defended his team’s playing style ahead of Saturday’s final.
“Chris Boyd made a comment about optimism finding a way,” he said.
“Well, we didn’t take a drop goal on Saturday. Northampton did. There is nothing that shows less optimism than taking a drop goal.”
He needn’t have bitten. Over the course of the past decade, Baxter has built a team which knows its own mind, has the courage of its conviction and has the power to dominate teams, at domestic level at least. He has found the winning formula and should be lauded for that.
If there is anything boring about the way they win games, it is the sport itself which is at fault, not Baxter or his players. Exeter should take it as a compliment the boring card is being played.
Success breeds jealousy and many in the Premiership have grown jealous of Exeter’s achievements, along with Saracens, over the past four or five years.
In simple terms, these two teams are so far and away the best two in the country, other clubs should look at ways to copy their model, not snipe at it.
Boyd’s team have played attractive rugby this season, no doubt, but when the heat came on they melted and Chiefs are the ones who contest the final at Twickenham against defending champions Saracens on Saturday.
With temperatures expected to near 30-degrees Celsius and a perfect Twickenham track to play on, expect a high-octane final combining pace, power and skill. It might be boring how much better these two teams are than the rest, but to label their playing style boring is to do them both a disservice.
These two teams have worked out how to win rugby matches more effectively than anyone else in the country and, for the time being at least, may as well play in a different league to their rivals.
Take it on the chin Exeter. Rise above it. You’re in the final and deserve to be so. There’s 80 minutes of rugby to be played to decide the champion club of England. Not many inside Twickenham on Saturday will find that boring.
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