Turner aims to go out with a bang

By Stuart James
18/5/18

Thomas Waldrom will not be the only Exeter bidding farewell to Sandy Park this weekend as Lachie Turner will also saying his goodbyes to the Chiefs tribe.

The Australian back arrived from French side Toulon in February 2016 and has since amassed 45 appearances for the club, scoring ten tries.

Saturday’s Aviva Premiership semi-final with Newcastle Falcons will be his last outing in front of the Sandy Park faithful, but rather than reflect on past glories, Turner is very much focused on the task in hand.

“There is too many to look back on at the moment because the job’s not done,” the 15-cap Wallaby said. “All of that looking back, the glorifying – all that sort of stuff – will come once I am done and dusted because at the moment, we have a really big couple of weeks ahead of us we hope and it starts this weekend here at home and that is all I am looking at at the moment.

“It’s been alright, it really has. I came here to become a better footballer and I think I have done that. I have enjoyed being a part of what we are building here - and what we have built - and now I am looking forward to getting the next two weeks done and dusted hopefully, going home and watching them continue on for the next few years to come.”

A win for Chiefs on Saturday will see them head back to Rugby HQ for the Premiership final against the winners of the other semi-final between Saracens and Wasps,

Both teams have provided Chiefs with the opponents in the last two premiership finals – Sarries in 2016 and Wasps last year – and Turner and co are determined to make it a hat-trick of finals for the Devon side.

“The last ten months all come down to two weeks, don’t they?” said Turner, who is heading back to Australia with his wife and young son to start work with a sports kit manufacturer in Brisbane.

“Form leading into this doesn’t really stand for much to be honest, but I am really excited about it.

“It’s my last game here at Sandy Park and it will be sold out, so I am really excited about that, the forecast looks good so we should get some clear weather… it’s all standing up to be one hell of a game and I am really excited at the prospect of being a part of it.

“They have had a tremendous season, as have we. But as I said, it doesn’t really stand for much now because this is knock-out footy and it comes down to the 80 or 100 minutes, as we saw last year. It’s a massive game, a sold crowd, good weather and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”