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Rob Baxter praises commitment of his players following Toulouse victory

Exeter Chiefs' Head Coach Rob Baxter during the Heineken Champions Cup Semi Final match between Exeter Chiefs and Stade Toulousain at Sandy Park on September 26, 2020 in Exeter, United Kingdom. - GETTY IMAGES
Exeter Chiefs' Head Coach Rob Baxter during the Heineken Champions Cup Semi Final match between Exeter Chiefs and Stade Toulousain at Sandy Park on September 26, 2020 in Exeter, United Kingdom. - GETTY IMAGES

Exeter Chiefs reached their first-ever Champions Cup final with victory over four-time champions Toulouse, marking another step in their remarkable rise to the top of rugby union.

Ten years on from their first-ever Premiership match, Exeter will now battle it out with Racing 92 to be crowned champions of Europe on October 17 - the location for the final is yet to be confirmed by tournament organisers - after scoring four tries against the French champions, including a brace for England prop Harry Williams. Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds, who scored his side's fourth try, finished with 13 points.

"I am very proud about it, it was amazing for the players," said Rob Baxter, Exeter's director of rugby. "When you look at the commitment these lads have put in for such a period of time – this European season has been the longest ever.

"It means so much for us -- as it would any team -- getting to a European final," the Exeter number eight Sam Simmonds added.

"They really put us under pressure with the offloads. They've got so many superstars. When we were under the cosh we had to go back to the basics and what we've built ourselves on. In previous years we'd come up against teams like Toulouse and they'd blow us away with their class, but we're just as good now."

Saracens, seeking to win their fourth Champions Cup title in five years, were minutes away from making it an all-English final with Exeter, only for Racing 92 to produce a spectacular match-winning try through Juan Imhoff, created by a moment of brilliance by Scotland fly-half Finn Russell to win 19-15 victory.

Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, paid tribute to the club's veteran players Brad Barritt and Richard Wigglesworth after their final major game for Saracens. Fly-half Alex Goode scored all of their 15 points off the kicking tee.

"[Barritt and Wigglesworth] have had wonderful careers at our club but today was irrelevant to their legacy. They established their legacy a long time ago. We’ll take a few days to get over this defeat then reflect on their time," McCall said.

Saracens and England hooker Jamie George added: "They're two of the biggest club legends that will ever play for Saracens. The word legend gets bandied around a lot but the things Brad in particular has put his body through to get on the field and represent the club, what he has done for the club, every time he pulls on that Saracens shirt the pride that he plays with. He's a true inspiration. What a captain and what a leader. He'll be sorely missed and Wiggy is the same, a great leader with us."