Ahead of Exeter Chiefs’ first PREM Rugby final since 2021, Planet Rugby takes a look at where the players who ran out at Twickenham that day are now.
Rob Baxter’s side booked their place in Saturday’s PREM Rugby final with a dramatic 27-26 win over Bath in last weekend’s semi-final at the Rec, in a game where they trailed 26-10 at half-time. In doing so, they also became just the seventh away side to win a play-off tie.
That victory also sees the Devonians return to the showpiece final for the first time since 2021, which they lost 40-38 to Harlequins. But, with five years between the two fixtures, where are the 23-man squad from that day now? Well, PR has done some digging.
Where are they now: Exeter Chiefs 2021 final team
15 Jack Nowell
England international Jack Nowell spent the best part of a decade as Exeter’s key man, and was one of several academy graduates to feature in their starting XV that day in 2021.
After making 145 appearances for the Devonians, the England international and proud Cornishman left Sandy Park at the end of the 2022/23 season to head across the Channel to France, and remains a key member of Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle side.
14 Alex Cuthbert
The Welsh winger quickly became a regular feature at Sandy Park after arriving from Cardiff in 2018, registering 32 appearances in his three years at the club and starting in two finals in that time.
This defeat to Quins was his final outing in a Chiefs shirt as he returned to Wales to join the Ospreys, before retiring last year. After ending his professional career, Cuthbert now regularly works as a pundit.
13 Henry Slade
As he did for five of their six finals in that great run, Henry Slade was the man at number 13 for Exeter Chiefs in the 2021 showpiece. The academy graduate was arguably the biggest name in the Chiefs squad during that era, with him a regular feature for England and pushing himself into contention for the Lions tour that summer.
Still at Exeter now, Slade is arguably in career-best form and finds himself at the heart of their push to this year’s final. To date, Slade has made 272 appearances for the Chiefs in all competitions.
12 Ollie Devoto
Slade’s long-term centre partner during that era was Ollie Devoto, who was again by his side in the 2021 final. After arriving from Bath in 2016, Devoto went on to make 126 appearances for the Chiefs and played a key role in the 2020 double alongside their first PREM title in his debut season.
The back left Exeter at the end of the 2023/24 season, and after a brief stint with National Two outfit Taunton Titans, now plays his rugby for MLR side Chicago Hounds.
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11 Tom O’Flaherty
On the wing that day was Tom O’Flaherty, who was an underrated member of the Chiefs squad during his stint at Sandy Park. The outside back arrived in the West Country in 2017 from Ospreys, and went on to make 97 appearances in the next five years, helping win a PREM title and Investec Champions Cup.
He later headed to the North West in 2022, joining Sale Sharks, where he remains today. To date, he has made 87 appearances for Sale and featured in their 2023 final defeat to Saracens.
10 Joe Simmonds (c)
Yet another academy graduate in the side that day was Joe Simmonds, who had been awarded an MBE for leading the Chiefs to a historic double the year before.
After making 170 appearances for the Devonians, the Teignmouth-native joined a chunk of the squad in heading to France in 2023, and is now a regular for the surprise Top 14 package this season, Pau.
9 Jack Maunder
Could almost copy and paste here, really, with academy man Jack Maunder taking the starting role from Nic White a season before, he was again in the starting line-up for Exeter in 2021.
The two-capped England international tallied 149 appearances for Exeter across his time at Sandy Park before heading to Australia with the Melbourne Rebels in 2023, and now plays for Pro D2 side Agen.
8 Sam Simmonds
Joining his brother in the starting line-up that day in 2021 was back-rower Sam, who was destined for the British and Irish Lions tour later in the summer after another stellar season.
The back-rower would also head for pastures new in 2023, joining a big chunk of that squad in heading to France. After a stint with Montpellier, S. Simmonds is now plying his trade with Lyon.
7 Richard Capstick
After enjoying a breakthrough campaign in the first team, Richard Capstick was selected in the starting XV for the final in 2021.
Yet another academy graduate in the squad, Capstick remains with the Chiefs to this day and has tallied 101 appearances in all competitions. He was also called into the England A side last season.
6 Jannes Kirsten
The South African forward arrived in the English South West from the Bulls in 2019, and quickly became a firm fan favourite in his four-year stint. Across his time with the Chiefs, Kirsten made 85 appearances and featured in both the PREM and Investec Champions Cup final wins in 2020.
Kirsten was another player to leave the Chiefs in 2023, returning to the Bulls before retiring at the end of the 2024/25 season. He now has a career outside of rugby.
5 Jonny Hill
Leaving Gloucester to join brother Sam at Sandy Park, Jonny Hill became a regular feature in the Chiefs squad during his time in Devon and later was drafted into both the England and British and Irish Lions squad as a result.
Hill spent seven seasons on the south coast before heading to Sale Sharks, and now plies his trade in France for Racing 92.
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4 Jonny Gray
Scotland international Jonny Gray proved to be a really shrewd signing for Exeter Chiefs, joining part-way through their double-winning season and later tallying 48 appearances for the club. His stint was ultimately ended by a nasty knee injury, not featuring at all in the 2023/24 season before heading to France to join Bordeaux.
Gray made 34 appearances for UBB before linking up with Perpignan earlier this season.
3 Harry Williams
Another relatively unknown player prior to his arrival at Sandy Park, Harry Williams quickly became a mainstay in the Chiefs’ side after arriving in 2015 and notched 162 appearances for the club in his seven-year stint. His form for Exeter also saw him drafted into the England squad under Eddie Jones, where he won 19 Test caps.
He left Sandy Park at the end of the 2022/23 season, and after a stint in France with both Montpellier and Pau, Williams is back in the PREM with Harlequins.
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
A second Cornishman who made his name in Devon, Luke Cowan-Dickie was arguably in the prime of his career in the early 2020s, notably making the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour, and was a key figure for Exeter in this final too. The academy graduate made 164 appearances for Exeter prior to his departure in 2023, where he would head north to link up with Sale Sharks.
He remains at the CorpAcq Stadium today, as well, and has made 42 appearances in the time since as well. Cowan-Dickie is still a consistent feature in the England Test side and made a second Lions tour in 2025.
1 Alec Hepburn
Rounding off the starting XV from the 2021 final is Alec Hepburn, who again arrived at the Chiefs as a relative unknown. Across his nine-year spell in Devon, Hepburn tallied 180 appearances for Exeter and played in four of their five PREM finals as well as the Investec Champions Cup final. His form also saw him win Test caps for both England and Scotland.
Hepburn left Exeter in 2024 to join up with URC side Scarlets, and currently sits on 33 appearances for the Welsh outfit.
Replacements
16 Jack Yeandle
Long-standing club captain Jack Yeandle has been an ever-present in the Chiefs side since joining from Doncaster Knights in 2012, and still remains at Sandy Park to this day.
The 36-year-old hooker has tallied a staggering 329 appearances for the club in his 14-year spell, and has overseen the club’s rise from PREM Rugby newbies to European champions. He is also showing no signs of stopping, after penning a fresh one-year deal to take him into next season.
17 Ben Moon
One of only a handful of players to play for Exeter in the Championship who later won the double, Ben Moon was another homegrown man to feature in the 2021 final. The Cullumpton-native was a one-club man throughout his career, making 302 appearances for Exeter between 2008 and 2023, and also won eight Test caps for England.
Moon retired in 2023 and is now the director of Moon’s self-storage and account manager at United Fixings.
18 Marcus Street
Young tighthead prop Marcus Street was becoming a consistent member of the Chiefs’ 23-man squad in 2021 and made the bench for the final against Harlequins. Yet another to come through the club’s academy, Street went on to make 106 appearances in Exeter colours across his eight years in the senior side, before joining Saracens at the start of the season.
He made 22 appearances for the Londoners in his maiden season and looks to be their first-choice tighthead ahead of next season.
19 Sean Lonsdale
Lock forward Sean Lonsdale was another ‘Moneyball’ recruit from Baxter, but this was his first and only inclusion in a PREM final team across his five years at Sandy Park.
In total, he went on to play 62 times for the Chiefs before heading to the Dragons in 2022, but returned to England in 2024 to join CHAMP side Ealing Trailfinders and remains with the Londoners today.
20 Don Armand
Following his switch from the Stormers in 2013, Don Armand went onto become a firm fan favourite at Sandy Park and featured in five of their six PREM finals between 2016 and 2021. His form for the Devonians also saw him called into the England squad, although not as regularly as Exeter fans would have wanted, and he won two Test caps in the process.
The back-rower retired from professional rugby in 2022 and now works as a high-performance leadership coach.
21 Stu Townsend
Featuring in his third PREM final, scrum-half Stu Townsend was also among the replacements list for the 2021 showpiece against Harlequins. After coming through the club’s academy, Townsend made 122 appearances for Exeter before leaving at the end of last season to join the opposition from that day five years ago.
In his maiden season at the Stoop, the scrum-half made 10 appearances.
22 Harvey Skinner
Emerging from the production line back in 2021 was Harvey Skinner, who was enjoying a run of consistent first-team games following the retirement of Gareth Steenson. Skinner is very much still a part of Exeter’s senior group, enjoying arguably his best season to date and taking a starring role in their road to the 2026 edition.
To date, the fly-half has made 149 appearances for the Chiefs.
23 Stuart Hogg
Scotland international Stuart Hogg joined Exeter ahead of the 2019/20 season, and went onto play 71 times for the club and help win a PREM and Investec Champions Cup double in his debut campaign. He retired at the end of the 2022/23 season due to injury, but later came out of retirement to join Montpellier.
Director of rugby: Rob Baxter
The man in the hot seat at Twickenham that day was Baxter, and he will again be at the helm when they take to the hallowed turf on Saturday. Baxter has been at the very forefront of the Chiefs’ rise from the second tier, taking over as head coach in 2009 and leading them to two PREM titles, one Investec Champions Cup, three PREM Rugby Cups and one CHAMP title.