Magical misfits aiming to give Exeter journey a fairytale finish
THERE is a small corner in the Exeter Chiefs changing room that is reserved for a group of players who call themselves ‘The Originals’. Membership requirements are strict. Only players who have been with the club since their Championship days are eligible and they like to reminisce about getting blind drunk at the back of the bus. Seven years after securing promotion, they have swapped Portakabin changing rooms for grander venues. The Originals will take their seats at Twickenham today and they are 80 minutes from becoming the unlikely champions of England. ‘There were some days on the bus back from a Championship defeat at Rotherham when we’d ask ourselves, “Can we even play in the Premiership?”,’ said fly-half Gareth Steenson. ‘Back then, we didn’t tend to worry whether we’d won or lost if it was an away trip. ‘It was our goal to be at the top but there was more emphasis on having a good time. ‘Even (director) Rob Baxter used to sit on the back of the bus with his brother — they would race to see who could drink the most! It’s nice to reminisce about the good old days.’ Steenson, Ben Moon and Phil Dollman will represent The Originals this afternoon against Wasps. Together they provide a stable core and, after years of steady improvement, they are hoping to round off their journey. Victory would be the realisation of a vision that was sold to Dollman in 2009, when Baxter made the full-back his first signing. ‘Even then, Rob knew what he wanted,’ said Dollman. ‘You could see the club was going somewhere. They had the facilities, the supporters, everything. It doesn’t surprise me to see the club in this position but did we expect it to happen in our time? Maybe not. We’ve all had to get up to speed. The experience of playing in the Championship makes us a bit more emotionally attached to the place.’ The Chiefs have taken no shortcuts. There has been a reliance on castoffs and academy products. They are not loaded with Test stars — though Dollman has just received a first Wales call-up at the age of 32. ‘You could say we’re a bunch of misfits,’ said Steenson. ‘A lot of our guys have been at big clubs but not quite made it. Now local lads grow up wanting to play for Exeter, whereas before they’d have gone to Bath or Gloucester. It’s a collective mindset. When our guys get selected to go and play for their international teams, we all feel a sense of pride. When Phil got his Wales call-up in the week, we all felt like we’d been called up!’ Club success and international recognition, however, do not always go hand in hand. Moon is unlikely to dominate the headlines but the uncapped prop will be a key cog in the driving game that could kill off Wasps. The Chiefs will draw on last year’s defeat by Saracens as The Originals plot to give their story the fairytale finish. ‘Last year, it took us about 30 minutes to get out of the “Blimey, we’re at Twickenham” thing,’ said Moon. ‘Our journey’s always been about improving. How can we progress from last year? Go out there and win it.’