Can Exeter complete title-winning turnaround?

ByBrent Pilnick

BBC Sport England

Two dressing-room scenes less than 14 months apart could not tell more aptly the story of how far Exeter have come as they prepare for Saturday's Prem final.

At the end of April last year, there was footage - without any sound - of chief executive Tony Rowe laying down the law, external in no uncertain terms after a club record 79-17 loss at Gloucester.

But fast-forward to this month and Exeter's director of rugby Rob Baxter triumphantly walks into the away dressing room at Bath, whips off his shirt, external and joyously joins the celebrations after his side booked their first Prem final place in five years.

So how have those players who looked so sheepishly into the distance or down at their feet at Gloucester become a side that went from second-bottom to Prem finalists in the space of a year?

"It's never come down to one thing, it never does," Baxter tells BBC Sport.

"There were lots of things that led to the Gloucester result, just like there's lots of things that have led to us having a better season and getting to the final.

"On the day, I kind of understood what Tony was talking about because it wasn't us losing. Tony's seen us lose plenty of times, he's seen us win plenty of times, but for him it's just more about just [staying] in the fight.

"I think the problem is that a multitude of things added up to mean we weren't really competitive in that game and I think that was the bit that hurt Tony. That was obviously the bit that hurt me.

"It's one of the first things we addressed right from day one of the off-season, let alone the pre-season - if you can't win, you draw and if you can't draw, you lose by one point. If you can't lose by one point you lose by two, because that's the easiest way for me to wrap it up.

"You can talk about resilience and all this type of stuff - they're just words, you can put words to anything."

'Not too dissimilar to a few years back'

"Rob is an emotional guy, very emotional about the club, passionate about it," former Exeter fly-half Gareth Steenson tells BBC South West.

"I know last year definitely hurt him.

"I think it's probably just that connection again with the squad, it looks like they're all connected in what they do and they've all bought into what they're trying to achieve."

Steenson knows more than most what it means to win with Exeter.

The Ulsterman, who is now attack coach for Ireland's women's team, spent 12 years as a Chiefs player and four as a coach until he left two years ago.

He scored the winning points when Exeter won promotion to the Premiership in 2010 before kicking the vital score as he captained the Chiefs to their first title in 2017.

He also helped Exeter reach every Prem final from 2016 to his retirement in 2020, winning a league and European double in his final season.

"I know that pre-season was meant to be out in the sand dunes, running around, things that we would experience even with Championship level, but it builds bonds that are slightly different and I think you can see that

"That emotion, that's probably just a release of a couple of years.

"It's been difficult a couple of years but knowing that he's got a good group around him, they all feel part of it. They look like a team that's fighting for each other, that's the biggest thing that I can see from the outside.

"Chatting to a couple of lads, they do say it's not too dissimilar to how it was a few years back and that's exactly what you want to see."

'I'll take the opportunity with both hands'

One of Steenson's former team-mates Olly Woodburn will line up for Exeter on Saturday.

The 34-year-old has seen it all before - playing in four of Exeter's previous six Prem finals, including that dramatic game that saw Steenson kick for victory.

"I would say it's similar to our first final - not a lot of people thought we'd get there. We were a mid-table team, quite scrappy and overlooked.

"This is is very similar. We entered the season and everyone's been overlooking us

"We're back as underdogs and we've reached the final and we've created some huge upsets."

Having had a win and three losses, many would have thought Woodburn's chances of returning to a Twickenham final had gone.

But he has reinvented himself, moving from the wing to full-back, and provided experience in a back three with youthful stars like Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Campbell Ridl and Paul Brown-Bampoe on the wings.

"You kind of take it for granted being at this stage of the season in the mix," he says.

"It's been six years since I played in a final so I've been trying to soak up every moment of it and make the most of every opportunity I get.

"I'm not looking back and thinking 'oh we could have made the final that time and I didn't use up every moment' so for me it means a lot to be back here and I'm going to take the opportunity with both hands."

Confidence from Northampton comeback

Exeter's past two seasons have in many ways been shaped by their opening games.

In 2024, Tommy Reffell's last-minute try saw the Chiefs lose 17-14 at home to Leicester - a defeat that crushed the side's hopes and set the tone for a poor season.

Fast-forward 12 months and it looked as though it would be more of the same as Exeter trailed 33-7 at Northampton at half-time.

But Baxter's men showed a new mettle as they came back to draw 33-33 - and the rest has been history.

"After a pre-season everyone's the best team in the world and then you get punched in the face in that first half," recalls captain Dafydd Jenkins.

"We had a massive comeback and it's given us confidence throughout the season.

"We took a huge amount of confidence coming away from Saints so getting that three points was huge for us in terms of that belief.

"We do reference that game a fair bit, especially this week - we know if we get our stuff right then we're going to be there or thereabouts."

Now Jenkins and his team-mates will hope their season can end how it began - with a positive result against Northampton and what many will see as an unlikely Prem title.