This is by far the most open race to the championship I have ever seen, obviously the horse I’ll be backing will be the Chiefs.
Yet, having seen the start to the year they have had, along with many of the so called other ‘front runners’, I’m struggling to put together a top half of the table, let alone top four.
Apart from Harlequins, the league looks almost upside down with Bath, Chiefs, Bristol and Saracens all in the bottom five of the new thirteen team league.
From a Chiefs point of view, there are a few easy to identify factors for their stuttering start, including a list of influential injuries, none more so than Big Dave but the overriding factor is being a victim of their own success.
So many of the key players sat in the stands, having played long in to the summer with the Lions but also playing a heap of rugby in the previous 12-18 months.
Many other teams are missing crucial international players after their enforced breaks, and it looks like this will continue to disrupt squads throughout the year with Autumn internationals and then Six Nations.
On a more positive note, there are two huge achievements for Devon’s finest this year in the form of Ben Moon and Stephen Jack Yeandle. Moony clocking up his 200th Premiership appearance, some feat in today’s game for a front row.
Secondly, Sidmouth’s own Jack Yeandle entering his milestone 10th year with the club, the club captain and a true leader within the group, I would like to think that Rob and the other coaches really do appreciate players like this, linchpin players that Exeter Chiefs are built on, grafters, putting it on the line every week and they would take some replacing.
Whatever the season holds, I’m excited, having rarely seen the Chiefs under so much pressure. How will they respond? With a ton of hard work and a ridiculous amount of attention to detail, no stone unturned and let’s see what happens.
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