Tom Hayes leads Exeter into the Premiership

INSPIRATIONAL captain Tom Hayes stole some of the limelight away from big brother John this week when the Limerickman helped guide the Exeter Chiefs into the Guinness Premiership for the first time.
Tom, younger brother of Munster and Ireland prop John, led the Chiefs to a resounding 38-16 aggregate win over Bristol in their two-leg Premiership play-off final this Wednesday.
It was a case of double celebration for Tom, a former All-Ireland League winning captain with Shannon, before his move cross-channel.
Tom Hayes and his wife Rachel, a member of the renowned Limerick rugby family, the Tuckers, celebrated the birth of their son Tomas Og last weekend.
Twenty nine-year-old Hayes said it was an ‘absolutely brilliant feeling’ to have led Exeter into the top flight of English club rugby, the Guinness Premiership.
The Exeter Chiefs secured promotion with a highly impressive 29-10 win over Bristol in the second leg of their final play-off at the Memorial Ground, a game which was televised live on Sky Sports.
Afterwards a delighted Tom Hayes said: “It is an absolutely unbelievable feeling. I don’t really know what to say.
“I said last week after the first leg that people at the club, who have been here a lot longer than me, set out to get to the Premiership as their goal.
“I have only been here two years, but I bought into it straight away, as soon as I got here. I had to buy into the heartache that fellows felt in finishing second in the Championship so many times over the past number of years. It is an absolutely unbelievable feeling now to finally get there this year.
“This success was all about trying to put the ghosts of the past behind us. People have doubted Exeter.
“They said the club always seemed to fold on the big stage. The club had gone to Twickenham and lost in cup finals and stuff. People said we didn’t have the bottle for the big day, but I think we put that one to bed over the past could of weeks.”
Cappamore man Tom Hayes, who previously played with Plymouth Albion in the Championship, said he was looking forward to playing on the big stage next season.
“I am looking forward to playing on the big stage,” Tom Hayes said.
“This game against Bristol was a massive game for us.
“The atmosphere was terrific. The Bristol crowd were massive and the Exeter supporters were brilliant.
“We would expect that type of atmosphere every week in the Premiership, where it may not always happen in the Championship every week.
“My first child was born on Saturday, so it has been a brilliant week for me.”
Exeter had taken a three-point lead into the second leg of the Championship play-off final after beating Bristol 9-6 in their first leg played at their Sandy Park home.
This was the first time that a place in the Premiership had been decided by a play-off.
And the RFU Management Board had already revealed Exeter had already met the authorities’ Minimum Standards criteria.

Colm Kinsella