European Cup record

Exeter’s Heineken Champions Cup triumph was the English club’s first European trophy. Previously, their best performance in Europe’s elite tournament was reaching the quarter-finals in 2015/16, the only time they had made the last eight before.

Last season

That Heineken Champions Cup success was achieved with a nail-biting 31-27 victory over Racing 92 at Bristol’s Ashton Gate. They won eight of their nine ties, the exception being a 31-31 Pool 2 try fest at Glasgow Warriors in Round 5.

Director of rugby

Rob Baxter - ‘Mr Exeter’ played with the club for 16 years, joining them as a colt in 1987 and going on to captain them for 10 seasons, before switching to their coaching staff after his retirement in 2003. Initially, he was put in charge of their forwards, before being promoted to acting head coach and then head coach in 2009. The 49-year-old was appointed director of rugby in 2017.

Key players

With their climb into the higher echelons of the English game, Exeter’s players have started to receive international recognition and they now have a host of England internationals in their squad, the most notable of whom are probably centre Henry Slade, wing Jack Nowell and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie. To those, they have added the likes of Scotland captain Stuart Hogg and lock Jonny Gray, while the Simmonds brothers, 2020 EPCR European Player of the Year Sam and captain Joe, are rising stars.

Pool fixtures

Home and away versus Glasgow Warriors and Toulouse, both of whom they met last season, Glasgow in the pool stage and Toulouse in the semi-final at Sandy Park, where Exeter triumphed 28-18.

Today we begin our look at Pool B of the Heineken Champions Cup and who better to kick it off than reigning champions Exeter Chiefs.