Geoff Parling hails Gareth Steenson's mental strength after Exeter win
Sunday 28 May 2017 23:31, UK
Geoff Parling hailed Exeter captain Gareth Steenson's mental strength after his extra-time penalty winner saw the Chiefs crowned Aviva Premiership champions.
England international lock Parling will leave Exeter in June, heading for a short playing stint in Japan before possibly gaining a Super Rugby contract in Australia.
But the 33-year-old departed the English game in style, helping Exeter land a first Premiership title just seven years after they were promoted to English rugby's top flight.
And it was fly-half Steenson who delivered the goods, finally taking the sting out of Wasps with a 97th-minute strike that saw Exeter home 23-20.
"He [Steenson] is mentally very, very strong," Parling said.
"He will always step up, he will always want those big moments. He drives the team forward and is a very good leader.
"In extra-time, you are waiting for that one little advantage, one little mistake, but what a game it was. We will take it.
"It is just reward for the way the lads have gone about their business.
"When I joined the Chiefs (in 2015), I knew the hard work they were doing, and hopefully the lads now will use this to say they want a bit more of it and push on.
"We said the game was going to be won or lost on one small moment, simple as that.
"It was just belief. It could have gone either way, let's be honest, but we kept knocking the door and eventually we got the chance."
Exeter's triumph also made amends for defeat in the Premiership final 12 months ago, when they never recovered from a first-half horror show that saw opponents Saracens build a 23-6 half-time lead.
"There was a completely different feeling in the build-up to this game to how it was a year ago," Parling added.
"When we got off the bus, it was focused. A year ago, I think the lads were a bit like 'look at the support' and were gobsmacked.
"Saturday was all about focus and the job at hand. I always felt we were going to win."
For Wasps, it was their first defeat in a Premiership final, having won on four previous occasions, although the last of those was nine years ago.
And Wasps flanker James Haskell will certainly be battle-hardened for the tour - the Lions depart Heathrow on Monday - ending his domestic season by playing the whole stamina-sapping 100 minutes in only the second Premiership final that required extra-time to settle it.
"I knew it was going to be a huge physical challenge, which it was," Haskell added. "I didn't think I was going to have to play for 100 minutes, but we did.
"Credit to Exeter. They controlled the game better than us and looked after the ball better than us, and you can't win finals if you don't do that.
"They come in wave after wave, and you have just got to keep digging in.
"We didn't look after the ball. How many times did we turn it over? How many times did we make mistakes and give the ball straight back to them?
"If you give a side like Exeter the opportunity, they will take it. You saw it last week against Saracens. (Saracens) switched off at one scrum, Henry Slade puts it 60 metres into the corner, and they drive the lineout and win.
"I am going to try and take the learning from it. What I can do better, how can I play better? I didn't have my best game, I made mistakes. I tried to leave nothing out there, and I went for 100 minutes, and it wasn't good enough."
