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'It would be a lie if I didn't say there were some markers we wanted to put down'
Gallagher Premiership fans worried that the top-flight in England could suffer this season without having the rivalry of Exeter versus Saracens to keep them entertained could well have an alternative rivalry to savour – Exeter against their nearest geographical rivals Bristol, who visit Sandy Park on Saturday for a top-of-the-table clash.
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Both teams are running joint first on the ladder with 20 points apiece after four wins from five outings and there is every indication that this latest meeting will be just as close as fixtures in recent years since Bristol returned to the Premiership following a season in the Championship.
The margins in their last four games have been tight – 3, 3, 5 and 2 points, with Exeter taking the spoils on three occasions to Bristol’s one. Now they meet with first place on the table at stake and Exeter boss Rob Baxter can’t wait to see how it all pans out.
“It wouldn’t be sport if there weren’t rivalries and there weren’t people looking at each other and going this is a big game,” he enthused. “Exeter against Bristol, if you look at the last couple of seasons and last season in particular, is a big game.
“Both teams will certainly want to make some kind of a statement but the biggest statement we both want to make is we show we can beat each other. That is the reality. You want to show that which is why Wasps’ win last week was a big win for them.
"Pound for pound he is one of the best tacklers I have seen"
– Bristol Bears have every faith in their small in stature scrum-half, Harry Randall, going all the way to Test level ? #GallagherPrem #EXEvBRI
https://t.co/N3TsBWeKcS— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 9, 2021
“That last game they played against us they lost in the final and they wanted to put down a marker that they could beat Exeter Chiefs and they did that very well. For us, 100 per cent we want to put down a marker that we can beat Bristol here at Sandy Park.
“Interestingly enough they came to Sandy Park last year and beat us early in the season but then we went to their place and beat them. These things, they have that edge and a bit of spice and it would be a lie if I didn’t say there were some markers we wanted to put down. Of course, we do but that is what will make it a really good game of rugby… there is no reason why it shouldn’t be a good game of rugby and hopefully, that is what it will become.”
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It was May 2010 when Exeter gained promotion to the Premiership at the expense of Bristol, winning a play-off final at the Memorial Ground. While the Chiefs have used the past decade to go on and become a leading force in the game, culminating in October’s Premiership and Champions Cup double, it wasn’t until Pat Lam took over and returned Bristol to the Premiership in 2018 that they began to take impressive strides.
Baxter has been impressed with their attitude, Bristol joining the Premiership with the view to achieving great things rather looking over their shoulder and playing with the fear of relegation. “I always felt that it was time in the Premiership that helped us more than anything else,” said Baxter, reflecting on how Chiefs developed when they were first promoted.
“So actually the single most important thing for us to become better in our first year or two in the Premiership was staying there and not just staying there, but staying there with a confidence relatively early in the season that you weren’t going to be relegated because that is how you progress.
“What stops you progressing more as a team than anything else is that looking over your shoulder, worrying about where the next result is coming, where the next points are coming, and what Bristol have managed to do very well is remove those doubts quite quickly.
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“That is what allows you to progress quickly because you then develop your game and develop things without that threat and fear. Bristol settled in very quickly when they got back in the Premiership and that is allowing them to develop and work on aspects of their game.
“They are a team that can score points very quickly if you get things wrong but Newcastle showed last weekend they have got some weaknesses you can exploit if you play well and Wasps showed the same with us.”
THE CHIEFS-BEARS RIVALRY
August 2019: Bristol 22 Exeter 25
November 2019: Exeter 17 Bristol 20
January 2019: Exeter 14 Bristol 9
November 2018: Bristol 29 Exeter 31
“Another incentive was cash… when you’re on 25 grand in the Championship, that [Rob Baxter's half-time bonus] becomes a big, big deal”
– @philldollman and @tomajohnson06 re-live the night of @ExeterChiefs promotion 10 years ago with @OwainJTJones ???https://t.co/hQBKsyustC
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 26, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Yawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
22 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to comments