21 days ago
Parma and Monza go head-to-head at Stadio Ennio Tardini this Sunday in the Serie A.
Parma have 0 points to their name this season and occupy 16th position in the table. In their last encounter, Carlos Cuesta's team were beaten 0-2 by Cremonese (Coppa Italia 2026/27).
Monza currently have 0 points and lie in 18th position. In their last match, Ivan Juric's team prevailed 0-1 against Torino (Coppa Italia 2026/27).
The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw.
Parma: Edoardo Corvi, Enrico Del Prato, Dominik Drobnic, Mariano Troilo, Sascha Britschgi, Adrián Bernabé, Christian Ordonez, Emanuele Valeri, Mandela Keita, El Bilal Touré, Simone Lontani
#points
Parma have 0 points to their name this season and occupy 16th position in the table. In their last encounter, Carlos Cuesta's team were beaten 0-2 by Cremonese (Coppa Italia 2026/27).
Monza currently have 0 points and lie in 18th position. In their last match, Ivan Juric's team prevailed 0-1 against Torino (Coppa Italia 2026/27).
The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw.
Parma: Edoardo Corvi, Enrico Del Prato, Dominik Drobnic, Mariano Troilo, Sascha Britschgi, Adrián Bernabé, Christian Ordonez, Emanuele Valeri, Mandela Keita, El Bilal Touré, Simone Lontani
#points
21 days ago
Chipmaker Nexperia has confirmed it is exploring a "strategic" partnership with Aurobay, targeting power semiconductor technology for the automotive industry.
The proposed collaboration would combine Nexperia's expertise in gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors with Aurobay's experience in designing and integrating powertrain systems.
Aurobay is the powertrain division of Horse Powertrain, the venture owned by Geely, Renault Group and Aramco.
The companies intend to explore expanded cooperation across semiconductor development and powertrain integration to support upcoming electrified and hybrid vehicle platforms.
Nexperia head of wide-bandgap business group, IGBTs and modules Edoardo Merli said: "By working closely with Aurobay Technologies, we can better understand system-level requirements and evaluate how advanced semiconductor technologies can deliver measurable benefits at the vehicle level."
#aurobay #vehicle #level
The proposed collaboration would combine Nexperia's expertise in gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors with Aurobay's experience in designing and integrating powertrain systems.
Aurobay is the powertrain division of Horse Powertrain, the venture owned by Geely, Renault Group and Aramco.
The companies intend to explore expanded cooperation across semiconductor development and powertrain integration to support upcoming electrified and hybrid vehicle platforms.
Nexperia head of wide-bandgap business group, IGBTs and modules Edoardo Merli said: "By working closely with Aurobay Technologies, we can better understand system-level requirements and evaluate how advanced semiconductor technologies can deliver measurable benefits at the vehicle level."
#aurobay #vehicle #level
26 days ago
Ever since the great Claude Rains first uttered the immortal line "Round up the usual suspects!" in Casablanca, the phrase has been ingrained in the popular lexicon — so much so that it inspired the ****** le of an entirely different movie nearly 50 years later. You hear it everywhere, in any context where you can expect to see a predictable set of participants.
On Saturday, a struggling Juventus were buoyed by a pair of very unusual suspects — guys most fans figured would be gone, or at least on their way out the door, by this point in the transfer window. Unable to penetrate a deep-lying Parma defense, it was Nico González who gave a moribund attack an instant shot in the arm, forcing a magical save before scoring a deflected goal off his own rebound to open the scoring. Then, with two minutes left, the game was sealed by another unlikely goalscorer: Teun Koopmeiners, who had just come on after an injury to Andrea Cambiaso and finished off a quick attack with a beautiful finish.
The unlikely redemption arcs from players most ****** umed were out of the team's plans, or at least on the very fringes, were welcome developments for a team that learned this week that their talisman, Kenan Yildiz, would miss two to three months once he undergoes surgery on a broken metatarsal. After a first half that seemed to be crying out for his creativity, it was the transfer-listed González who gave the Bianconeri the necessary spark to take Parma down 2-0 as they began to look forward to next week's big match against AC Milan.
Apart from Yildiz, Luciano Spalletti was also missing Weston McKennie (muscle fatigue), Edon Zhegrova, and Khéphren Thuram, who suffered a setback in his knee recovery and could now require surgery. Jeff Ekhator came back to make his first Juve squad in a competitive game. Spalletti's 4-2-3-1 was therefore shuffled a bit. Guglielmo Vicario started in goal after getting over the cramp that forced him off late against Frosinone. Pierre Kalulu and Zeki Çelik played on the defensive flanks, while Bremer was partnered with new signing Jhon Lucumí in the middle of defense. Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz played in the midfield, while Francisco Conceição, Jonathan David, and Jérémie Boga supported Randal Kolo Muani in attack.
Carlos Cuesta lost his first Parma match last week against Cagliari, and were looking for something better here. His only missing player was former Juve prospect Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who had to have a surgery of his own this week. Edoardo Corvi started behind a 4-4-2. Enrico Delprato, Mariano Troilo, Dominik Drobnic, and Emanuele Valeri arrayed themselves in front of him. Sascha Britschgi and Mandela Keita bookended Christian Ordóñez and Adrían Bernabé in midfield. El Bilal Touré and Simone Lontani started up front. Drobnic and Lontani were both teenagers, and the former was making his debut.
#juve #drobnic
On Saturday, a struggling Juventus were buoyed by a pair of very unusual suspects — guys most fans figured would be gone, or at least on their way out the door, by this point in the transfer window. Unable to penetrate a deep-lying Parma defense, it was Nico González who gave a moribund attack an instant shot in the arm, forcing a magical save before scoring a deflected goal off his own rebound to open the scoring. Then, with two minutes left, the game was sealed by another unlikely goalscorer: Teun Koopmeiners, who had just come on after an injury to Andrea Cambiaso and finished off a quick attack with a beautiful finish.
The unlikely redemption arcs from players most ****** umed were out of the team's plans, or at least on the very fringes, were welcome developments for a team that learned this week that their talisman, Kenan Yildiz, would miss two to three months once he undergoes surgery on a broken metatarsal. After a first half that seemed to be crying out for his creativity, it was the transfer-listed González who gave the Bianconeri the necessary spark to take Parma down 2-0 as they began to look forward to next week's big match against AC Milan.
Apart from Yildiz, Luciano Spalletti was also missing Weston McKennie (muscle fatigue), Edon Zhegrova, and Khéphren Thuram, who suffered a setback in his knee recovery and could now require surgery. Jeff Ekhator came back to make his first Juve squad in a competitive game. Spalletti's 4-2-3-1 was therefore shuffled a bit. Guglielmo Vicario started in goal after getting over the cramp that forced him off late against Frosinone. Pierre Kalulu and Zeki Çelik played on the defensive flanks, while Bremer was partnered with new signing Jhon Lucumí in the middle of defense. Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz played in the midfield, while Francisco Conceição, Jonathan David, and Jérémie Boga supported Randal Kolo Muani in attack.
Carlos Cuesta lost his first Parma match last week against Cagliari, and were looking for something better here. His only missing player was former Juve prospect Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who had to have a surgery of his own this week. Edoardo Corvi started behind a 4-4-2. Enrico Delprato, Mariano Troilo, Dominik Drobnic, and Emanuele Valeri arrayed themselves in front of him. Sascha Britschgi and Mandela Keita bookended Christian Ordóñez and Adrían Bernabé in midfield. El Bilal Touré and Simone Lontani started up front. Drobnic and Lontani were both teenagers, and the former was making his debut.
#juve #drobnic
1 month ago
Princess Eugenie recently welcomed her third child - a baby girl - with her husband, Jack Brooksbank – but the new royal baby does not have any **** les.
The royal, 36, who is the younger daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, is already mother to August, five, and Ernest, three.
Her older sister, Princess Beatrice, has two daughters, Sienna, four, and Athena, one, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She is also stepmother to Wolfie, from Edoardo's previous relationship with architect Dara Huang.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie were born Princesses, though their father, Andrew, was stripped of his "Prince" **** le last October over his links to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Neither Beatrice nor Eugenie's children have British royal **** les as they are not direct grandchildren of the reigning monarch, King Charles.
#baby
The royal, 36, who is the younger daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, is already mother to August, five, and Ernest, three.
Her older sister, Princess Beatrice, has two daughters, Sienna, four, and Athena, one, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She is also stepmother to Wolfie, from Edoardo's previous relationship with architect Dara Huang.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie were born Princesses, though their father, Andrew, was stripped of his "Prince" **** le last October over his links to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Neither Beatrice nor Eugenie's children have British royal **** les as they are not direct grandchildren of the reigning monarch, King Charles.
#baby
1 month ago
ARDMORE, Pa. – While the term cathedral is used to describe golf's greatest venues, the East Course at Merion Golf Club is arguably its most revered chapel, set on approximately 120 acres packed with history and some of the best golf holes in the world.
A step into the converted farmhouse that now serves as Merion's intricate clubhouse signifies a step back in time, with the club's famed archive room as the main vehicle.
The small, windowless room, established by George Scudder and now chaired by historian and 19-time Merion club champ John Capers III, is the main repository of Merion's history. It includes over 4,000 books and artifacts, including the standard from Justin Rose's 2013 U.S. Open victory, the unwashed striped, Merion-logoed polo Edoardo Molinari wore in winning the 2005 U.S. Amateur final, aerial images from Bobby Jones' slam-completing triumph at the 1930 U.S. Amateur, even some old horseshoes dug out of this historic dirt.
Jack Whaley will now have to part with his beloved Yorkshire County team rain jacket.
After a run of warm and sunny days in northwest Philadelphia, English skies set over Merion for the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship final. Perfect for Whaley, a 22-year-old from Doncaster, England, who embraced the relentless rain and washed away a 2-up deficit after 19 holes to defeat Stanford's Jay Leng Jr., 4 and 3.
#golf #step
A step into the converted farmhouse that now serves as Merion's intricate clubhouse signifies a step back in time, with the club's famed archive room as the main vehicle.
The small, windowless room, established by George Scudder and now chaired by historian and 19-time Merion club champ John Capers III, is the main repository of Merion's history. It includes over 4,000 books and artifacts, including the standard from Justin Rose's 2013 U.S. Open victory, the unwashed striped, Merion-logoed polo Edoardo Molinari wore in winning the 2005 U.S. Amateur final, aerial images from Bobby Jones' slam-completing triumph at the 1930 U.S. Amateur, even some old horseshoes dug out of this historic dirt.
Jack Whaley will now have to part with his beloved Yorkshire County team rain jacket.
After a run of warm and sunny days in northwest Philadelphia, English skies set over Merion for the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship final. Perfect for Whaley, a 22-year-old from Doncaster, England, who embraced the relentless rain and washed away a 2-up deficit after 19 holes to defeat Stanford's Jay Leng Jr., 4 and 3.
#golf #step
2 months ago
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi posed for a selfie in his new photo dump.
He posted an Instagram carousel in honor of her 38th birthday on August 8.
Mapelli Mozzi included a picture from her cousin's wedding.
Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi just gave fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at a royal wedding. On August 8, he shared a snapshot from her cousin's recent nuptials in a new photo dump.
Mapelli Mozzi, 42, shared an Instagram carousel on his wife's 38th birthday. He posted several pictures of the two of them, including a selfie taken at Peter Phillips's wedding to Harriet Sperling on June 6.
#edoardo
He posted an Instagram carousel in honor of her 38th birthday on August 8.
Mapelli Mozzi included a picture from her cousin's wedding.
Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi just gave fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at a royal wedding. On August 8, he shared a snapshot from her cousin's recent nuptials in a new photo dump.
Mapelli Mozzi, 42, shared an Instagram carousel on his wife's 38th birthday. He posted several pictures of the two of them, including a selfie taken at Peter Phillips's wedding to Harriet Sperling on June 6.
#edoardo
2 months ago
Princess Beatrice turned 38 on Aug. 8
She received a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram from her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Signing the post from himself and their three children, Edo wrote, "You make our world"
Princess Beatrice received a sweet birthday tribute from her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter turned 38 on Saturday, Aug. 8, and her husband celebrated with an Instagram carousel of pics and a glowing caption.
#mozzi
She received a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram from her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Signing the post from himself and their three children, Edo wrote, "You make our world"
Princess Beatrice received a sweet birthday tribute from her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter turned 38 on Saturday, Aug. 8, and her husband celebrated with an Instagram carousel of pics and a glowing caption.
#mozzi
2 months ago
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi shared a birthday tribute to his wife, Princess Beatrice
He signed off with his and their children's first initials, a move also used by Kate Middleton and Prince William
"Happy Birthday to my phenomenal, beautiful wife...You make our world," Edo captioned the Instagram post
Princess Beatrice's birthday tribute from Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi included their children in a sweet yet subtle way.
To celebrate Beatrice's 38th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 8, her husband shared a loving tribute on his personal Instagram page. The post included four photos of the couple, including casual selfies and even a behind-the-scenes look at her cousin Peter Phillips' recent royal wedding. Edo, as he's known to family and friends, captioned the post, "Happy Birthday to my phenomenal, beautiful wife. We love [you] so much. You make our world."
#edoardo
He signed off with his and their children's first initials, a move also used by Kate Middleton and Prince William
"Happy Birthday to my phenomenal, beautiful wife...You make our world," Edo captioned the Instagram post
Princess Beatrice's birthday tribute from Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi included their children in a sweet yet subtle way.
To celebrate Beatrice's 38th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 8, her husband shared a loving tribute on his personal Instagram page. The post included four photos of the couple, including casual selfies and even a behind-the-scenes look at her cousin Peter Phillips' recent royal wedding. Edo, as he's known to family and friends, captioned the post, "Happy Birthday to my phenomenal, beautiful wife. We love [you] so much. You make our world."
#edoardo
2 months ago
Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi shared a fresh affectionate message for her 38th birthday after months of speculation about their marriage.
Edoardo posted photographs of Beatrice on August 8 and called her his "phenomenal, beautiful wife," adding, "You make our world." He signed the message "Love E,W,S,A ****** x," referring to himself and the couple's three children.
A source close to the couple pushed back strongly in PEOPLE, calling the marriage-trouble speculation "complete nonsense." The couple was also photographed together at a London birthday party around the same period.
Edoardo has also spoken repeatedly about the importance of family in a recent Gentleman's Journal interview, naming family time as part of his ideal holiday, his biggest luxury and his preferred way to relax.
The August 8 post was not simply a recirculated message from Beatrice's previous birthday. "Happy Birthday to my phenomenal, beautiful wife," Edoardo wrote in the new Instagram caption.
#edoardo #beautiful
Edoardo posted photographs of Beatrice on August 8 and called her his "phenomenal, beautiful wife," adding, "You make our world." He signed the message "Love E,W,S,A ****** x," referring to himself and the couple's three children.
A source close to the couple pushed back strongly in PEOPLE, calling the marriage-trouble speculation "complete nonsense." The couple was also photographed together at a London birthday party around the same period.
Edoardo has also spoken repeatedly about the importance of family in a recent Gentleman's Journal interview, naming family time as part of his ideal holiday, his biggest luxury and his preferred way to relax.
The August 8 post was not simply a recirculated message from Beatrice's previous birthday. "Happy Birthday to my phenomenal, beautiful wife," Edoardo wrote in the new Instagram caption.
#edoardo #beautiful
2 months ago
A rare photo of Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi together appeared to send a clear message amid ongoing marriage rumors, but it may not have had the intended effect.
The duo was seen cozying up with art curator Aliki Lampropoulos while on a trip to Athens, Greece, celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary in July. It was an opportunity for the couple to spend time together since Mozzi's schedule keeps him on the road and away from Beatrice and their children, Sienna Elizabeth, 3, and Athena Elizabeth Rose, 1, quite often. He also shares son Christopher Woolf, 10, with ex-girlfriend Dara Huang.
More from SheKnows
Why Prince William & Kate Middleton Allegedly Feel 'Betrayed' & 'Humiliated' By King Charles
Even though the snapshot was not on their official Instagram accounts, palace insiders believe that Lampropoulos' Instagram Story post was a way for the couple to shut the rumors down. "They were clearly keen to show a sense of unity – the smiles were not accidental," a source told RadarOnline.
#elizabeth #together #couple #edoardo
The duo was seen cozying up with art curator Aliki Lampropoulos while on a trip to Athens, Greece, celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary in July. It was an opportunity for the couple to spend time together since Mozzi's schedule keeps him on the road and away from Beatrice and their children, Sienna Elizabeth, 3, and Athena Elizabeth Rose, 1, quite often. He also shares son Christopher Woolf, 10, with ex-girlfriend Dara Huang.
More from SheKnows
Why Prince William & Kate Middleton Allegedly Feel 'Betrayed' & 'Humiliated' By King Charles
Even though the snapshot was not on their official Instagram accounts, palace insiders believe that Lampropoulos' Instagram Story post was a way for the couple to shut the rumors down. "They were clearly keen to show a sense of unity – the smiles were not accidental," a source told RadarOnline.
#elizabeth #together #couple #edoardo
2 months ago
Fabio Paratici has wasted no time stamping his mark on this Fiorentina squad. He's brought in 5 new players already and more are coming. That's good news: the Viola needed to refresh a stale, ailing group. What I'm interested in, though, is the senior players the new sporting director has sold. No, I don't mean outcasts like Lucas Beltrán and Amir Richardson and Alessandro Bianco. I don't mean unfortunate salary casualty Robin Gosens. No, I mean all the academy-trained talent in the system.
Until the Viola create a B-team, it will lose a crop of academy kids every summer. Most of them never had a chance of breaking through to the first team. For the handful who might have the quality, finding an acceptable path within the club is difficult. The most common outcome is what happened to, say, Eduard Duțu last year: a promising young defender, he ended up on 7 loan deals before leaving Florence for good last year without ever making a senior appearance. Guys like Luca Ranieri—loans to Foggia, Ascoli, SPAL, and Salernitana before breaking through—are the exception. It's rare for to see one of these youngsters take that final step.
Young players matter to fans in a way they don't to the club itself. For fans, every 17-year-old who dribbles a 3rd-tier defender in preseason becomes a future star. That's not just luxurious thinking. We need that fantasy—the academy contains untold riches—because it reinforces two narratives that sustain us, especially through the lean years. First, we get to believe that we know ball and can identify buried talent because that allows us to think of ourselves as knowledgeable, superior, and in control of something over which we actually exert no control. Second, we get to think that Fiorentina is doing something better than other clubs, allowing us to enjoy vicarious success and prove to ourselves that there's a reason to support an organization that constantly falls short.
The other bit is that fans connect with kids they've watched grow up more than they do with senior players brought in on the open market. There are Borja Valero exceptions, of course, but in a vacuum, we'd all prefer an academy product more than a player of equal talent who transferred in. It demonstrates that the club's process is successful. It also provides a connection to the city: every time you see a kid like Tommaso Martinelli post a picture of himself as a child in the Curva Fiesole, it reinforces the depth of feeling the locals have for the club in a way that nothing else can.
Fiorentina has enjoyed unprecedented success at youth level in the Commisso era. Daniele Galloppa led the kids to their first scudetto in 43 years, adding that trophy to 4 Coppe Italia and 2 Supercoppe since the 2019-2020 season. There's been a rich seam of talent at the RBCVPetc, churning out senior internationals (Federico Chiesa, Jan Mlakar, Michael Kayode), promising youngsters (Daniele Ghilardi, Edoardo Pierozzi, Costantino Favasuli) and steady veterans dotting t
Until the Viola create a B-team, it will lose a crop of academy kids every summer. Most of them never had a chance of breaking through to the first team. For the handful who might have the quality, finding an acceptable path within the club is difficult. The most common outcome is what happened to, say, Eduard Duțu last year: a promising young defender, he ended up on 7 loan deals before leaving Florence for good last year without ever making a senior appearance. Guys like Luca Ranieri—loans to Foggia, Ascoli, SPAL, and Salernitana before breaking through—are the exception. It's rare for to see one of these youngsters take that final step.
Young players matter to fans in a way they don't to the club itself. For fans, every 17-year-old who dribbles a 3rd-tier defender in preseason becomes a future star. That's not just luxurious thinking. We need that fantasy—the academy contains untold riches—because it reinforces two narratives that sustain us, especially through the lean years. First, we get to believe that we know ball and can identify buried talent because that allows us to think of ourselves as knowledgeable, superior, and in control of something over which we actually exert no control. Second, we get to think that Fiorentina is doing something better than other clubs, allowing us to enjoy vicarious success and prove to ourselves that there's a reason to support an organization that constantly falls short.
The other bit is that fans connect with kids they've watched grow up more than they do with senior players brought in on the open market. There are Borja Valero exceptions, of course, but in a vacuum, we'd all prefer an academy product more than a player of equal talent who transferred in. It demonstrates that the club's process is successful. It also provides a connection to the city: every time you see a kid like Tommaso Martinelli post a picture of himself as a child in the Curva Fiesole, it reinforces the depth of feeling the locals have for the club in a way that nothing else can.
Fiorentina has enjoyed unprecedented success at youth level in the Commisso era. Daniele Galloppa led the kids to their first scudetto in 43 years, adding that trophy to 4 Coppe Italia and 2 Supercoppe since the 2019-2020 season. There's been a rich seam of talent at the RBCVPetc, churning out senior internationals (Federico Chiesa, Jan Mlakar, Michael Kayode), promising youngsters (Daniele Ghilardi, Edoardo Pierozzi, Costantino Favasuli) and steady veterans dotting t
3 months ago
VIRGINIA WATER, England — The Molinari brothers are back in tandem for Europe's defense of the Ryder Cup.
Francesco Molinari was named as an ****** istant to European captain Luke Donald for next year's matches at Adare Manor in Ireland, joining older brother Edoardo in the backroom team.
The Italian siblings have been Donald's ****** istants for Team Europe's wins outside Rome in 2023 and at Bethpage Black in 2025, with Edoardo having a key role in providing important statistical ****** ysis. They also played together for the win in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
Francesco said it was an "easy, straightforward decision" to accept Donald's request.
"I was very pleased when Luke asked me," he said. "I've had two great experiences in Rome and New York, two very different ones, but both of them memorable, and some of the best weeks of my life."
Francesco Molinari was named as an ****** istant to European captain Luke Donald for next year's matches at Adare Manor in Ireland, joining older brother Edoardo in the backroom team.
The Italian siblings have been Donald's ****** istants for Team Europe's wins outside Rome in 2023 and at Bethpage Black in 2025, with Edoardo having a key role in providing important statistical ****** ysis. They also played together for the win in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
Francesco said it was an "easy, straightforward decision" to accept Donald's request.
"I was very pleased when Luke asked me," he said. "I've had two great experiences in Rome and New York, two very different ones, but both of them memorable, and some of the best weeks of my life."
3 months ago
For Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs, this Gallagher Prem season will end as it began. It feels a long while ago that the pair embarked on their domestic campaigns in the shadow of the Women's World Cup final but, as they prepare to dance again on a grander stage, the opening round meeting between the pair at Franklin's Gardens is worth reflecting upon. It feels, in a way, a fixture of a different time, occurring too early in the season for Northampton's British and Irish Lions to play a part and before Exeter's impactful Australian additions had even arrived in the country.
And yet, within the details, were clues and cues for the season that has followed. Northampton's establishing of a 33-7 half-time lead came courtesy of a try from Tom Litchfield, launching his breakthrough campaign as the latest back off the production line; Exeter's superb counter-offensive was inspired by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, so influential when fitness has permitted a place on the park. There was a certain symmetry to how the Chiefs roared back to ****** a draw on the opening weekend and the second-half surge in the semi-final at the Rec that has set up their Twickenham trip. They, as in September and last week, begin as underdogs; Northampton will recognise from experience that this Chiefs team doesn't know when it is beaten.
"Knowing some of these lads, they've got the confidence and belief to think they can do anything and that's how I want them to feel," Exeter boss Rob Baxter said this week. "My job is to just get them ready enough and I say more than anything else, emotionally ready enough to put another 80 minutes together, because if they can roll up like that again, it's going to be a ****** of a day."
12 months ago, when they had finished eighth and ninth in the table, the idea of a final between these two felt unlikely. It was easy to project a positive regression for Northampton after an abnormal, anomalous season in which they had prioritised a proper go in the Champions Cup over another ****** le tilt in the Prem but it is to be commended how impressively they have restored domestic order nonetheless. The emergence of Litchfield, Edoardo Todaro, Archie McParland, Ed Prowse and others is testament to a coaching staff that marries off-pitch culture and on-field capers so superbly.
Such a swift turnaround for Exeter was rather harder to foresee. They were, in truth, a club that looked lost this time a year ago, mired in uncertainty and upheaval from top to bottom. Now, with new American owners on the way, a playing group of renewed purpose and the steadying hand of Baxter back firmly on the tiller, English rugby union's modern success story appear upwardly mobile again. Having had their remarkable rise through the ranks translated to the stage earlier this season, with the excellent book Exe Men converted for a limited run in the autumn, another Prem ****** le might just make a compelling third act to the Exeter story.
And yet, within the details, were clues and cues for the season that has followed. Northampton's establishing of a 33-7 half-time lead came courtesy of a try from Tom Litchfield, launching his breakthrough campaign as the latest back off the production line; Exeter's superb counter-offensive was inspired by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, so influential when fitness has permitted a place on the park. There was a certain symmetry to how the Chiefs roared back to ****** a draw on the opening weekend and the second-half surge in the semi-final at the Rec that has set up their Twickenham trip. They, as in September and last week, begin as underdogs; Northampton will recognise from experience that this Chiefs team doesn't know when it is beaten.
"Knowing some of these lads, they've got the confidence and belief to think they can do anything and that's how I want them to feel," Exeter boss Rob Baxter said this week. "My job is to just get them ready enough and I say more than anything else, emotionally ready enough to put another 80 minutes together, because if they can roll up like that again, it's going to be a ****** of a day."
12 months ago, when they had finished eighth and ninth in the table, the idea of a final between these two felt unlikely. It was easy to project a positive regression for Northampton after an abnormal, anomalous season in which they had prioritised a proper go in the Champions Cup over another ****** le tilt in the Prem but it is to be commended how impressively they have restored domestic order nonetheless. The emergence of Litchfield, Edoardo Todaro, Archie McParland, Ed Prowse and others is testament to a coaching staff that marries off-pitch culture and on-field capers so superbly.
Such a swift turnaround for Exeter was rather harder to foresee. They were, in truth, a club that looked lost this time a year ago, mired in uncertainty and upheaval from top to bottom. Now, with new American owners on the way, a playing group of renewed purpose and the steadying hand of Baxter back firmly on the tiller, English rugby union's modern success story appear upwardly mobile again. Having had their remarkable rise through the ranks translated to the stage earlier this season, with the excellent book Exe Men converted for a limited run in the autumn, another Prem ****** le might just make a compelling third act to the Exeter story.