Armand eyes title glory

By Jamie Hawkins
26/5/17

Don Armand says Exeter Chiefs have learnt lessons from last season's Aviva Premiership final defeat and are looking to go one better this year.

Chiefs secured their place in Saturday's final at Twickenham in the most dramatic of circumstances after a last-gasp win against Saracens, and the flanker says the mind-set has changed twelve months on.

He said: "I definitely think there have been lessons learnt. I can't speak for what will happen on Saturday because you can only tell the lessons learnt after the action, but I'd like to think we're going to it with a bit of a different mind-set to what we did last year.

"Last year we were happy to be in the final, whereas this year I think it's a bit different because we've been to the final, we know what it's like being at Twickenham, so I think the focus has slightly shifted.

"I think the expectation is there, but it's the top two teams in the league, so I think the expectation is to play our game, and whatever happens happens, but not like last year, where we probably didn't start as well as we should have, so its hoping that we don't do that."

Chiefs' final opponents Wasps' pulled off a similar thrilling late win the their semi-final against Leicester Tigers, and Armand is expecting a huge test.

Armand said: "They're used to being at the top and the pressure of being chased down. It's been quite tight between Sarries, us and them for the last few games of the season and they've managed to stay at the top.

"It's obviously going to be a massive game, and because of rugby being the way it is, we've got to make sure we're the team the pitches up, because if not, a team like Wasps will take advantage of that."

Armand is in his fourth season at Sandy Park, and has played an important part in Chiefs recent rise to the top of the Premiership; he has always had dreams of playing in Premiership final

He said: "I think everyone's got those aspirations. When I first arrived I was just trying to make sure I was in the team.

"From a team's perspective, I think we had a lot to build on. It started with top four. I think we've always been sensible; we've never tried to go for something that we can't reach.

"So to go from top four, the focus has changed to certain things. When I first arrived, the club was in a completely different place to where we are now.

"We made the final last year, and I think the focus has definitely changed.

"I think the whole mentality of the side has got to be the same, and I think the focus is in the right place knowing what's needed to get where we need to be in the final and hopefully wining it."

Armand says head coach Rob Baxter's message to the squad is simply to carry on playing the way that has saw them break records and reach back-to-back finals.

"I think the message is pretty much do what we've been doing" said Armand. "There's no need to create miracles to win the game.

"We've been going well, we've got a good run of form, so we just need to make sure that we prepare as well as we can for Saturday.

"But knowing that we don't have to go out there and start creating some kind of miracle to win the game because what we've been doing has been working, so the focus has been to focus on ourselves and make sure what we do is right and everyone knows their role."