DERBY NIGHT, UNDER THE LIGHTS. Gloucester v Exeter

Roll-up, roll-up, get yourself down to the Shed (or in front of the TV) for a west country derby between the Circus and the Chiefs.

We speak to Exeter Chiefs head coach Steve Salvin and their returning Irish star Dorothy Wall, plus Gloucester Hartpury head of rugby Dan Murphy and one of their multiple Red Roses, Tatyana Heard, for our bumper preview of one of the biggest games of the PWR season.

The scene is set for the immovable object against the irresistible force as unbeaten Gloucester Hartpury take on third place Exeter Chiefs in a top-of-the-table clash. And if the mouthwatering prospect of a massive west country derby isn’t enough, it has the added drama of being played out under the lights of Kingsholm on Friday night.

Gloucester remain the only unbeaten side in the PWR this season, currently sitting level on 50-points with Saracens, but with a game in hand. Exeter lie in third place on 35-points after a season that hasn’t always seen them finish opponents off.

So what can we expect from this clash of the west country giants?

A bruising battle of attrition? Could be. Though both play attractive rugby, both also know how to get down to business.

Both packs have only lost four scrums all season with the Chiefs just edging the scrum percentage won by 96% to 95%. Fine margins.

Both have won 106 lineouts this season, although Gloucester do have a superior lineout win percentage at 82% vs 76%.

Gloucester lead the league in dominant contacts (313) this season – proving they’re the division’s best wrecking balls – while Exeter have completed more tackles than any other team (1,954). It sets us up for a battle: rock, meet hard place. Expect plenty of crunch.

And some celebration as Gloucester captain Mo Hunt (above, left) is set to make her 100th appearance for the club.

We asked Exeter Chiefs head coach, Steve Salvin about their opponents in round 13.

Whichever part of the pitch you look at, they seem to have a lot of the best players. Have you spotted any weaknesses? 

Steve Salvin: No, not really, have you? [laughs]

They’ve got fantastic players in every area. But there have been games this year where they’ve come under pressure.

Yes, they found a way to win and they found a way to win with a bonus point, but rugby matches are rarely plain sailing.

They’re obviously a fantastic side, but like any side, they’re fallible at times, and when they’re put under pressure, it’s how effectively they can manage that pressure. 

There are a few areas we feel we can go after. But we’re also very aware that they’re capable of exerting pressure on us as well and we’re going to have to be really good on the other side.

Exeter’s Dorothy Wall is back in the squad following a concussion, and looking forward to Friday night’s challenge.

What do you look forward to in a match like this?

Dorothy Wall: I really enjoy the physical battle in every game… and there’s a lot of players like that on our team.

The physical mark we can make on the big ball carriers, on the people who make the difference to their gain line, or to how they work in the middle of the park.

I think, how I can physically dominate or physically affect a gain line is what I really look forward to.

Are there particular Gloucester players that you, as a fan of rugby, enjoy watching?

Dorothy Wall: I think Gloucester as a whole are good to watch. I think they play a really nice brand of rugby. Their skill set is lovely.

They’ve got Mo Hunt and Lleucu George at the helm of distribution and attack and everything. So they’re good to watch and it’s a nice challenge to try and sort through how you stop that really good looking attack. So that’s something we’ve talked about this week.

They’ve obviously got big ball carriers everywhere. My own Irish teammates Niamh O’Dowd and Sam Monaghan and El Perry are amongst that as well.”

I know Neve Jones is injured at the moment, but it’s always fun coming up against your international teammates in this setting as well. You can have a few jabs in the game, but meet your friends after, all being well. Looking forward to playing against my friends and seeing them after too.

We asked Gloucester Hartpury Head of Rugby, Dan Murphy, what the game might offer…

What are you  expecting from Exeter tomorrow? Where will they be hoping to gain an edge over you?

Dan Murphy: Exeter are a very physical side and they’re very clinical when they get into the 22. I think they’ve got nearly half their tries, from 22 entries and picking and going. And from a maul as well. So stopping those entries is going to be key tomorrow. 

And the physical battle. It’s a west country derby, it’s always the case. I think Saracens showed how to deal with them defensively a couple of weeks ago. They’ll be chomping at the bit to rectify that, but Saracens showed us how to do it, so we’ve just got to go and do the same.

Breakdowns and lineouts, are they where the action is going to be?

Yeah, so there’s always a battle at the breakdown. It’s something we pride ourselves on at GH and getting after a quick ball for us and slowing our position down is going to be huge.

Again lineouts are a huge part of the game for us and getting the tempo in our game that we want. Hopefully with some sunshine, we can get some running rugby.

You’ve obviously got a lot of strength on your bench. Is that reassuring to know that there’s that behind you if you need the options?

Yeah, definitely. We’ve seen so many games this year it’s been an 80-minute game. Harlequins away earlier on in the year we finished the game strong. We had to, we were 19-10 or 19-12 at half time. We were down at Trailfinders, at home. They played for 80 minutes, so it’s becoming an 80-minute game every week now.

We’re very lucky with the squad we have at GH, every player that takes the field adds to the game. 

Tatyana Heard is looking forward to meeting the Chiefs again and renewing the rivalry.

What do you look forward to in a match like this? Obviously going to be a good one.

Tatyana Heard: Yeah, but they’re all fun ones for me. I just love pulling on the shirt, love being out there with the girls.

This is what everyone looks forward to, the match day. We’re all really privileged that we get that opportunity. So yeah, everything to look forward to.

Obviously it’s a big derby against Exeter. We’ve had a lot of match-ups against them and it’s a massive game. They’re a really physical side, it’s always a massive competition against them and so we’re really excited to get out there and put on a show for the fans.

When I asked Heard about playing under the lights, she raised an interesting point that maybe doesn’t get talked about enough.

Is it a bit special playing under the lights?

Tatyana Heard: Yeah, definitely, it’s really exciting playing on a Friday night. But equally you don’t consider all the girls that have to work full time. And I think that’s tough.

They say it’s a professional league, but there’s still people that are going to work tomorrow and then having to come after work and pull a shirt on and play out there. I think it’s a really tough position to be.

I’m really privileged in that this is my full-time job, so I can get everything done in the day and make sure I’m fuelled and rested and recovered, ready to go. But there’s girls out there that have to work a full day, be around kids, being at the NHS, and then they’ve got to get down here in rush-hour traffic and be ready to put on a performance. 

So it’s really exciting to be playing on a Friday, but it’s a tough situation for some people as well. 

Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Nel Metcalfe, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Rachel Lund, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Natasha Hunt (C); 1 Niamh O’Dowd, 2 Kelsey Jones, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Sam Monaghan, 5 Sarah Beckett, 6 Kate Williams, 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Alex Matthews.
Impact players: Lucy Simpson, Erin Bradley, Ranni Samuda, Steph Else, Bethan Lewis, Bianca Blackburn, Lizzie Goulden, Molly Bunker.

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Sabrina Poulin, 14 Katie Buchanan, 13 Alex Tessier, 12 Nancy McGillivray, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson (vc); 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Eleanor Febrey, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Linde van der Velden, 5 Dorothy Wall, 6 Emily Robinson (c), 7 Maisy Allen (vc), 8 Maddie Feaunati
Impact players: Kayleigh Priest, Demi Swann, Amy Rule, Abby Duguid, Gabriella Nigrelli, Eilidh Sinclair, Gabby Cantorna, Merryn Elworthy

Gloucester Hartpury v Exeter Chiefs, Kingsholm, Friday 6 March. KO 19.30
Live on BBC iPlayer

Photos: Helen M Jerome