Jack Nowell flew home from France pleading with Exeter boss Rob Baxter not to let it end this way.
A seven-try stuffing by the La Rochelle club he joins this summer could well be the final playing memory the England star has of his 14 years at Chiefs.
His time at Sandy Park has coincided with Exeter’s golden era, bringing one European Cup, two Premiership titles and six Twickenham finals. The prospect of Sunday’s 47-28 Champions Cup semi-final drubbing in Bordeaux being his sign off fills him with horror.
