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Covid outbreak fails to slow Exeter's perfect Premiership start

By PA
Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Rugby – Gallagher Premiership – Sandy Park

Exeter bounced back from the outbreak of coronavirus that had swept through Sandy Park to maintain their perfect start to their Gallagher Premiership title defence with a 28-20 victory over Gloucester.

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The disruption caused by the spread of Covid-19, forcing the cancellation of their Champions Cup match against Toulouse a week earlier, was evident in a laboured first half.

But inspired by the Simmonds brothers, the double winners ignited to deliver a fourth-successive bonus-point victory and equal the previous best start to a season registered by Saracens in 2018-19.

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Jacob Umaga on why chose England and more:

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Jacob Umaga on why chose England and more:

Number eight Sam Simmonds lifted his try tally for the Premiership campaign to eight with a pair of touchdowns that underpinned the second-half surge, but his brother Joe Simmonds was equally influential at fly-half.

Joe Simmonds completed all four conversions to finish with eight points and the Chiefs captain also went desperately close to scoring a try.

A lively crowd of 2,000 fans also saw Jonny Gray and Ollie Devoto cross either side of the interval as Exeter established a clear lead at the summit of the Premiership.

Gloucester’s finest moments were inspired by replacement scrum-half Tony Venner, whose league debut in the second half brought with it urgency in attack, but they also dominated the start.

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Exeter Chiefs v <a href=Gloucester Rugby – Gallagher Premiership – Sandy Park” />

Early celebrations at their maul driving over the whitewash were muted when it was decided they had been held up over the line, but the pressure continued and Lloyd Evans was able to landed a penalty.

Exeter spent most of the opening quarter in their own half as they weathered an audacious onslaught that almost produced a try for hooker Jack Singleton as he galloped on to Evans’ crossfield kick only to be stopped short of the whitewash.

A high error count and poor decision-making contributed to the Chiefs’ difficult start, but Gloucester were also magnificent as they continued to press with a forward-led assault.

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Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Rugby - Gallagher Premiership - Sandy Park

Eventually Exeter escaped their half, however, and – having opted for touch instead of goal – they spent a sustained spell probing the visitors’ line with Luke Cowan-Dickie their hardest-working carrier.

Gloucester defended manfully but when they poured around the edges of one ruck, once Gray had picked up the ball, they failed to knock over the Scotland lock and with a big hole in front of him, he powered over.

Evans kicked his second penalty to narrow Exeter’s half-time lead to 7-6 but the double winners emerged from the break with more purpose and they were immediately on to the front foot with Joe Simmonds just knocking on as he slid over the line.

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Rugby - Gallagher Premiership - Sandy Park

Simmonds was the provider when the Chiefs did engineer their second try shortly after, his sharp pass to Devoto exposing out-of-position centre Chris Harris for a simple run in.

Gloucester’s resistance was clearly crumbling as they accommodated an easy third and Exeter will have scored few simpler mauling tries as their line-out drive met little opposition before Sam Simmonds touched down for the seventh time this season.

Stung into action, the visitors hit back with a purple patch inspired by Venner. One jet heeled run down the touchline left the Chiefs for dead and later in the same spell, he was in support to finish a try that was created by Mark Atkinson’s clever pass in midfield.

Any doubt over the outcome was quickly extinguished, however, as Sam Simmonds drove over from close range.

The exuberant Venner claimed his second with another predatory finish but there was a gasp of disbelief when Evans missed a simple last-gasp penalty that would have secured a losing bonus point.

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Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

29 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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