Triumph over Racing 92 showed that honesty, integrity and camaraderie can succeed in modern sport and Exeter have no intention of stopping there
Ask any Devon farmer and they will tell you the cream rises to the top eventually. As Joe Simmonds and Jack Yeandle, the pride of Teignmouth and Crediton respectively, jointly hoisted the Champions Cup into the Bristol sky, it was also further proof, if it were required, that good guys do not necessarily finish second and that honesty, integrity and camaraderie can still win out in modern professional sport.
Amid all the cascading accolades – English clubs have now lifted four of the last five Champions Cups while Bristol’s Challenge Cup success ensured a Premiership clean sweep this year – it was also an achievement to warm the hearts of small-town folk nationwide. There have been some remarkable winners of this coveted tournament in the quarter of a century since its inception but, in virtually every respect, Exeter are hard to beat.