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Exeter Chiefs still confident ahead of Champions Cup clash
Henry Slade is confident Exeter Chiefs can keep their European Champions Cup hopes alive this weekend by beating Montpellier in a must-win Pool 3 clash, reports Omnisport.
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“We’re very confident we can put that behind us.
“It’s definitely a big game for us and we’ve been treating it like that all week. We’re really looking forward to it. When there’s this much on the line it’s really exciting. We’re going to have to be right on it.”
Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Leinster in December have left the Premiership champions facing an uphill battle to extend their European campaign.
The Chiefs sit third in Pool 3 and need victories in each of their two remaining group matches to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Exeter also plays Montpellier at home, having been beaten in their last domestic outing against Newcastle Falcons, but Slade is nevertheless optimistic.
📸 – PICTURE SPECIAL: Great shots of from @ppauk of the @ExeterChiefs players warming up for Saturday's @ChampionsCup clash with @MHR_officiel at @SandyParkExeter pic.twitter.com/uN1gvRnzvZ
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) January 11, 2018
Slade believes the calmness of the Chiefs’ director of rugby, Rob Baxter, will serve the team well as they seek to regain top form.
“Rob and Ali [Hepher, Exeter’s head coach] and the guys who coach us are very good at keeping us level-headed,” the 24-year-old added. “We never get too carried away with a big win or too carried away with a loss.”
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Asked if Baxter had the skills to coach at international level in future, Slade replied: “Yeah, definitely – 100 per cent.
“You know when someone comes into a room and they just automatically have respect? That’s the sort of guy Rob is.
“He’s very level-headed and I think having a coach that is like a rock, not getting too excited or too down all the time, it’s really good for the boys to have that sturdy base.”
Comments on RugbyPass
GOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
1 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
152 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
152 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
152 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
152 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
152 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
152 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
152 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
152 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
152 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
152 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
152 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
152 Go to commentsHo hum.
152 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
152 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
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