You traipse around the country for eight months and 23 rounds of rugby and Exeter play Saracens in the Premiership final.
That is seemingly the way in this recent domestic era. Now it will be eight finals in the last 10 to feature either or both of the best two sides in England.
The Chiefs booked their trip to Twickenham in typically dominant fashion and now must try to beat Saracens in a final at the third attempt on Saturday.
Exeter wing Tom O' Flaherty dives over to score his side's fourth try against Northampton
Harry Williams, Joe Simmonds, Dave Dennis, Tom O’Flaherty, Sam Simmonds and Sam Hill were the men with the tries this time as the regular-season table-toppers completed their inexorable march to HQ for the fourth consecutive time.
But they were, at least, made to work for it in the first half. Northampton — who finished a full 30 points behind Exeter in the table — scored a penalty try and one from Ahsee Tuala but were inevitably overpowered and left pointless in the second half.
‘If we take the lead in the final against Saracens we’ll be fine then!’ joked Exeter’s chief Rob Baxter afterwards.
Matt Kvesic celebrates Exeter's third try by Dave Dennis at Sandy Park on Saturday
It might not have ended up mattering, but a horrid drop from star No 9 Cobus Reinach when he was clean through before the break felt crucial.
Baxter, who brought this team up just nine summers ago, will now only be content with the trophy.‘It feels great to be in a final but it doesn’t feel amazing,’ he said. ‘It would feel amazing to win it because that’s something we have only experienced once. ‘It is only a big day if we win it. We are still a bit way off our optimum game.’
Never mind a game of two halves, the first 40 minutes here were a half of two halves. With 22 minutes played Northampton were doing everything you should not against Exeter and Chiefs everything you would expect them to.
Saints barely entered Exeter’s half, and never their 22 in the siege. They dropped the ball, turned it
