The Best in the West

Congratulations to Exeter Chiefs on lifting the European Champions Cup. There is no doubt that they were the most powerful and effective team in the competition. Racing did show some flashes of brilliance but that was, in the end, not quite a match for the cohesion and nous of Exeter. I am sure that Exeter will remain a dominant force in rugby if they continue to recruit a limited number of top-class players judiciously whilst retaining their identity.

Unusually for a major final, the game was entertaining with the contrast in styles adding to the spice of the occasion. The result was in doubt until the final whistle. I am sure that Tomas Francis was mightily relieved that his indiscretion towards the end did not cost Exeter the match.

I do sometimes wonder about the countless phases that the better teams manage to put together as they relentlessly pound away at the goal line. The opposition to a large extent finds it virtually impossible to legally relieve the pressure and concede a series of penalties and often a yellow card. I suppose this is why Rugby League and US Football restricted the number of phases thus enabling the defending side a way to regain possession. It is at its most galling when a team in the lead can wind down the clock for five minutes or more towards the end of a close game and effectively kill the game when the neutral would like the other team to have one last chance to save the day. I shouldn’t complain really as Pontypool and Wales have both benefited from this approach in close games.

The other thing that struck me was how incredibly short the distance from the goal line to the dead ball line was. I have mentioned this problem before as I cannot imagine any other sport having such a disparity as there is between say Murrayfield and Bristol. I understand that this is due to the increasing use of football pitches but it does have an impact on the tactics employed.

In the absence of any Pontypool action, I am relieved that Wales will be playing soon. I need rugby where I really care about who wins. Being a neutral observer is all very well but nothing can take the place of that feeling when your team runs out on to the pitch. Yes, I won’t be there in person but the couch is a good second best.