Western Morning News (Saturday)
Whitten and Moon join Hogg in calling it a day
Exeter’s last of the ‘Originals’ and Irish back announce their retirement from rugby
EXETER Chiefs have confirmed that an Whitten will play his last game for the club this afternoon abefore retiring from rugby, along with Ben Moon and Stuart Hogg.
Ahead of the club’s final home game of the 2022/23 campaign against Bristol today, Chiefs have announced utility back Whitten and injured former England international loosehead prop Moon are joining Hogg in hanging up their boots.
Moon, 33, will undoubtedly go down as a club great having made 302 senior appearances for the Devon outfit. His retirement after 15 years truly marks the end of an era as he is the sole ‘original’ left in the current Chiefs squad that was promoted from the RFU Championship in 2009. Moon’s personal honours include two Premiership Rugby titles, a European Champions Cup crown, plus an LV= Cup winners’ medal.
Tiverton-born Moon, who came through the club’s junior set-up before making his senior debut in 2008, also earned eight England caps between 2018 and 2019 as he developed a reputation as one of the Premiership’s best scrummagers.
Thirty-five-year-old Northern Irishman Whitten is widely touted as one of Rob Baxter’s best signings as he was picked up from Ulster in 2012.
Eleven years later the versatile back, who can play both centre and on the wing, has made 279 appearances for Exeter, scoring 31 tries to join Moon in being a double Premiership and one time Champions Cup winner. He also earned two senior caps for Ireland against Canada and the USA in 2009.
Both Whitten and Hogg have been named in the starting XV for today’s clash against the Bears.
Baxter acknowledged in his weekly media briefing that it will be an emotional day for many, but he doesn’t want the occasion to distract from the job at hand, which is to win a game of rugby first and foremost.
“The first meeting we had this week, we talked about how it’s going to be a good and an important day for all of us,” said Baxter. “However, let’s not expect it to be good because we want it to be good. As a group, we have to direct that emotional energy in the right way.
“Bristol won’t be coming here to have a party or say ‘well done’ to our players, they are coming here to win a game of rugby. If we direct our energy and our emotion in the right way, then we’re normally pretty good. It’s when we don’t, that’s when we have problems. All I’ve said to our lads is, I want them to go out, perform and then be able to walk off the pitch proud of what they have achieved.”
The clash will also see final home run-outs for Dave Ewers, Jannes
Kirsten, Sam Simmonds, Joe Simmonds and Sean O’Brien.
Others departing, including the likes of Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Nowell, Jack Maunder and Harry Williams, will get their chance to say goodbye when the players take to the field at the final whistle for a lap of honour.
“For me, we’ve just got to get back to enjoying every game we play. You never want to get tired of playing Premiership rugby. It’s a privilege to be a coach, a player, a supporter in the Premiership. Our players should enjoy being on the field in front of big crowds and that’s exactly what this weekend will be.”
Exeter Chiefs: Stuart Hogg, Tom Wyatt, Henry Slade, Ian Whitten, Olly Woodburn, Joe Simmonds, Will Becconsall; Nika Abuladze, Dan Frost, Marcus Street, Jack Dunne, Dafydd Jenkins, Dave Ewers, Jannes Kirseten, Sam Simmonds. Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Alec Hepburn, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Aidon Davis, Christ Tshiunza, Stu Townsend, Harvey Skinner, Sean O’Brien.