Chiefs to face Racing in big Euro showdown

EXETER Chiefs reached their first Heineken European Champions Cup final after flooring French heavyweights Toulouse with a 28-18 victory at Sandy Park.

The Chiefs’ forwards drove them into a final showdown against Racing 92 at Ashton Gate in Bristol next month, as prop Harry Williams scored two tries, number eight Sam Simmonds also touched down and skipper Joe Simmonds iced the celebration cake through a stunning individual score.

Fly-half Joe Simmonds, younger brother of Sam, converted all four scores, and just 10 years after Exeter were promoted to the Premiership they are one win away from being crowned kings of Europe.

The Chiefs remain firmly on course for a domestic and European double, a feat that has only been managed by three English clubs - Leicester, Wasps and Saracens.

Toulouse’s bid for a record fifth European title will have to wait, although they pushed Exeter all the way.

They led for much of the first half, with replacement lock Alban Placines scoring a try and full-back Thomas Ramos kicking two penalties, before Matthis Lebel added a consolation score that Ramos converted.

But Toulouse failed to score a point between the 36th and 76th minutes, such was Exeter’s control, built on the back of a huge pack effort and impressive discipline.

Racing 92 had earlier claimed a dramatic 19-15 semi-final win over Saracens in Paris.

Alex Goode had kicked five penalties as Saracens overturned a 9-6 interval deficit and boost hopes of a fourth Champions Cup title in five years at the end of a season in which they will be relegated from the Gallagher Premiership after their points deduction.

But the champions were undone in the 76th minute when leading 15-12, Virimi Vakatawa charged clear and wing Juan Imhoff accepted Finn Russell’s pass to score the game’s only try which Maxime Machenaud converted.

Teddy Iribaren (three) and Machenaud had earlier kicked penalties for Racing - losing finalists in 2016 and 2018 - as the 1,000 fans allowed in at the Paris La Defense Arena savoured a famous home victory.