- Chiefs -11 (Evns, various)
- Each team to score at least 1 try in each half (11/8, Paddy Power)
- Total Pts >+50.5 (10/11, various)
- Quins tries >+1.5 (4/7, Paddy Power)
- Anytime try-scorer, Jack Nowell (7/4, Paddy Power)
Gallagher Premiership 2020/21 Final
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins, kick-off 5.30pm, Twickenham
Twickenham stages English rugby’s equivalent of the Civil War with the Exeter Chiefs representing the Parliamentarians and Harlequins the Royalists.
While Quins have cut a dash all season and are the pick of the romantics with their daring-do ways, the Chiefs are all about ruthless efficiency and sticking to the system. Heck, even half their haircuts make them look like Roundheads.
But is either side going to lose their head? Probably not.
Rob Baxter has the Chiefs so well-drilled it is hard to see them buckle in the face of an attacking onslaught from Quins, while the Londoners, who make the short trip the A360, are in a nothing to lose scenario as no-one expected them to be here, certainly not at 28-0 down in the semi v Bristol.
For a side that won the double last season and have been crowned Premiership champions before, it may seem a strange thing to say but Exeter still have to win more silverware to become considered a truly great team, like the Bath, Leicester and Wasps sides of old, and more recently. Saracens.
Only two of the five previous finals they have been in have been won. Jack Nowell is the only player to have experienced each and every one of those matches and he keeps hold of the No.15 jersey ahead of Stuart Hogg.
So there is motivation aplenty for the Chiefs, with the manpower to match it, although with Jacques Vermeulen, Dave Ewers and Sam Skinner unavailable, they have lost some serious talent in a key area of strength.
Marcus Smith will be put under all sorts of pressure today, and while he may be able to produce the odd moment of magic, the Chiefs machine looks unstoppable.
You can’t help but feeling Quins have already had their final against Bristol, and as hard as they try, Exeter will just have too much for them and win their third league title by as many as two scores.
Exeter Chiefs: 15. Jack Nowell, 14. Alex Cuthbert, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Ollie Devoto, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. Joe Simmonds (c), 9. Jack Maunder; 1. Alec Hepburn, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Harry Williams, 4. Jonny Gray, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Jannes Kirsten, 7. Richard Capstick, 8. Sam Simmonds
Replacements: 16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Ben Moon, 18. Marcus Street, 19. Sean Lonsdale, 20. Don Armand, 21. Stu Townsend, 22. Harvey Skinner, 23. Stuart Hogg.
Harlequins: 15. Tyrone Green, 14. Louis Lynagh, 13. Joe Marchant, 12. Andre Esterhuizen, 11. Cadan Murley, 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Danny Care; 1. Joe Marler, 2. Scott Baldwin, 3. Wilco Louw, 4. Matt Symons, 5. Stephan Lewies (c), 6. James Chisholm, 7. Jack Kenningham, 8. Alex Dombrandt
Replacements: 16. Joe Gray, 17. Santiago Garcia Botta, 18. Will Collier, 19. Dino Lamb, 20. Tom Lawday, 21. Martin Landajo, 22. Ben Tapuai, 23. Luke Northmore.30
