The 2022/23 Premiership Rugby Cup will come to a close this Sunday, as London Irish take on Exeter Chiefs in the final. Irish have the home-field advantage, as once again the final will take place at the G-tech Community Stadium in Brentford.
It has been a whirlwind of a competition, with Wasps and Worcester Warrior’s mid-way withdrawals adding extra rounds into the pool stages. A dramatic semi-final weekend saw Irish defeat Northampton Saints in a 30-18 classic, and Exeter dismantled Sale Sharks 46-3, in a one way run out at Sandy Park.
The competition has once again showcased the bright young stars set to break through in the Premiership, with London Irish in particular presenting exciting signs for years to come. Exiles Academy Forwards Coach Jon Fisher, is delighted with what he sees in the next generation of players.
“If you look back at how the Northampton Saints game at home ended, the semi-final, in the way that transpired in the last 10 minutes. I think it’s a incredibly positive thing for the club that the next generation so to speak, have shown throughout the course of this competition, that when the big moments in games present themselves, they have what it takes to get the job done.”
London Irish are hoping to right the wrongs of last year, as the Exiles lost the Premiership Rugby Cup Final to Worcester Warriors. Defence Coach Declan Danaher and back-rower Jack Cooke both agreed how the Exiles have ‘unfinished business’ in the competition, as Irish lost in rather bizarre circumstances last season.
A last minute try from Worcester’s Kyle Hatherell levelled the score-line to 25-25, forcing the match into extra time. However, a following 30-minute stalemate saw the match end in a draw, with Worcester awarded the trophy, having scored more tries than Irish. Fisher discussed how his side are using last year’s loss as motivation, and ensures how this weekend will be totally different.”
“(It is a) Very, very different team, (and a) different time. I think we have progressed dramatically as a team, this different group of players. And obviously the team that we lost to last year in the final, or drew with and then eventually lost to in the final, are not involved in rugby union at the top level anymore. So it’s a very, very different landscape and a different game entirely.”
London Irish pride themselves on playing an exciting brand of free-flowing rugby, and entertain their supporters at the G-tech Community Stadium. The ethos of ‘playing the Exiles way’ is introduced to Fisher’s academy talents at a young age, which prepares them for the transition to to the first XV. Fisher believes this approach to the match can lead to success, and Irish’s first trophy in over a decade.
“Look, that would also be, you know, represented in the age grade teams that we have in the club. There’s a lot of guys obviously playing this game at the weekend that I’ve coached since they were you know, under 16, under 17. And that London Irish style of ‘playing the exiles way’ has been prevalent for these guys, since they were kind of 15, 16. So it’s well embedded in the way they want to play the game.”
“The reality is, I think the generation that are playing currently, probably don’t pay too much attention to the history, I think they’re probably far more invested in creating their own sense of history for London Irish itself. So I think that, like I said, there’s young guys on this team, they’ve been used to playing in finals, whether it be age grade, or obviously last season. I think they’re just probably far better prepared to represent themselves well, this weekend.”
Exeter Chiefs come into the final presenting a polarizing style of play. The Devonshire side are fabled for their success in the contact area, with rolling mauls and short drives often reaping rewards for the Chiefs. Fisher expects to see a similar approach this Sunday, and believes that his side can match their opponent’s physicality.
“I think, you know, any Exeter side, I think they’re going to make you work when they have the ball. They’re a team that are obviously very threatening and very compensational when they get close to your line. And they’re also a team that are very, very aggressive when you have the ball, with the line speed they do bring. So we’re expecting to be under pressure at certain moments. We’re just very much looking forward to rolling our sleeves up and giving a good account of ourselves.
“Look, we’re obviously preparing for them to do their very best. And for them to be at their very best in areas of the game, which typically, Exeter would be. And across the course of this Premiership Cup competition, and Premiership season, they’ve shown they would be.
“You know, we’re expecting a very tough encounter across all areas of the set piece. We’re expecting them to put pressure on us and apply line speed when we have the ball. And we’re also expecting them to try and create momentum with their power carriers when they have the ball. So we’re preparing for them to be at their very best.”
London Irish and Exeter Chiefs kick-off the 2023 Premiership Rugby Cup Final on Sunday, with a slightly start earlier time of 14:00. The match will be broadcast on BT Sport, and is the perfect way to round of a weekend of rugby after ‘Super Saturday’ brings the 2023 Guinness Six Nations to a close.