WE’RE COMING FOR THEM – Exeter Chiefs vs Gloucester Hartpury
Both Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester Hartpury currently have maximum points in the PWR, but something’s got to give when they face off this weekend at Sandy Park.
We spoke to the head coaches from both teams as well as Exeter’s new prop Amy Rule (below, far left) as they looked ahead to this highly-anticipated west country clash.
Coming off the back of dominant PWR week one wins, both Gloucester Hartpury and Exeter Chiefs will be looking to make it two in a row this weekend.
The reigning champions Gloucester opened their campaign with a dominant 40-14 home victory over Saracens, ending the weekend with the maximum five points after securing a four-try bonus point as well.
However, Chiefs also secured five points of their own when they defeated Ealing Trailfinders 24-12 and will now look for a home win as they host Gloucester at Sandy Park in a west country showdown.
Bruises
Gloucester’s Head of Rugby, Dan Murphy sat down with The New Women’s Sport Magazine to preview the clash.
He said: “The camp is in a good mood, coming off the back of a win, the bruises don’t hurt as much, and everyone walks in with a smile on their face.
“We spoke about in preseason that this first block is a very challenging block. Saracens, Exeter, Harlequins and then Sale Sharks in back-to-back games.
“This week is key because we only have a six-day turnaround, Sunday to Saturday, it shortens your week and puts pressure on how we prepare for the weekend.
“We’ve played against Exeter many times now, and like us, they had many girls at the World Cup, so bringing them back together, they did a great job beating Trailfinders last weekend, so they’re flying high.
“Exeter are only an hour and a half down the road and it’s a journey we’ve done many times.
“Rugby is rugby. You get down to it and it’s four white lines, 30 people and one ball going at it.
“Exeter will want to win their first home game at the weekend. They’re very proud of Sandy Park and will want a good performance.”
Room for Growth
Head Coach of Exeter Chiefs, Steve Salvin also spoke to us ahead of game week two, and despite a win, he feels his team still need to grow.
“In some ways you don’t want to be at your very best early on because you need room for growth and so to come off the field with a bit of disappointment, was probably a good thing.
“We still need to work extremely hard to get where we want to get to.
“You saw the quality of the Gloucester team; I mean that’s not unique to last week. That’s been the Gloucester team for the last two or three years and we’re not expecting something we’ve not seen before.
“But it’s a week later and a lot changes in a week. You can never predict what happens in one game based on what happened in a previous game.
“We’re very aware of their quality, but we’re also very aware of the qualities of our team.
“It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity and one we’re really looking forward to.”
Don’t Underestimate Us
One of Exeter’s new signings, prop, Amy Rule – the first Black Fern to join the PWR – is determined ahead of her first start for the Chiefs which sees her face Gloucester for the first time.
She said: “They’ve got three titles under their belt, it’s not their first rodeo in that sense.
“But heading into this week, we’re an exciting team who’ve got a lot to offer.
“Don’t underestimate us. We’re coming for them.”
This exciting test kicks off at 3pm on Saturday 1st November and can be watched live on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website – or in person at Sandy Park, Exeter.
