'There were things there that you wouldn't want to happen in a Heineken Cup week'
Rob Baxter hailed his Exeter side’s character after they overcame a string of obstacles and a flying start from Glasgow to seal a place in the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals.
The Aviva Premiership leaders needed only a point to seal top spot in Pool 2 and managed three after a pulsating 31-31 draw.
Exeter had to deal with illness and injury and then got lost on their way to Scotstoun after being rerouted as an estimated 80,000 Scottish independence supporters marched through Glasgow.
They conceded two tries to Tommy Seymour and Huw Jones in the opening eight minutes but scored the next three before being pegged back on the stroke of half-time.
Matt Kvesic scored his second of the game to put the Chiefs ahead but they survived some late pressure in torrential rain, and a disallowed Sam Johnson try, after Niko Matawalu’s effort and a brilliant Adam Hastings conversion got Glasgow level.
Director of rugby Baxter said: “We were 14 points down and interestingly enough our message to the players before the game was just to come here and show character.
“We hadn’t had a perfect week, we had a short turnaround from a Premiership game last Sunday and had to change the team every day in training with players dropping out through head injuries and illness, and even had to change the 23 last night with Don Armand being ill.
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“Sean Lonsdale called lineouts and that’s the first senior game he has had to do it. There were other guys making senior debuts, Will Whitty and Tom Price making their front-line debuts. There were things there that you wouldn’t want to happen in a Heineken Cup week.
“We got disrupted in our travel, turned up late and the weather is changeable. Everything was a challenge and we have dealt with it.
“There was a march on in the city centre and our hotel was city centre. We turned one way and turned another and roads were being shut. We ended up skirting our way round. We ended up in a couple of housing estates and wondered whether we were ever going to get out.
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“The lads have just got on with it and showed great character and it feels like we have got a winning draw because it has achieved everything we wanted to achieve.
“The key is the home quarter-final now and what the three points has done has meant it is in our hands.”
Warriors were left to rue yellow cards in each half for Callum Gibbins and Fraser Brown – Exeter scored three tries with numerical advantage – and two huge chances for Jones which disappeared when he failed to pick up the ball.
Head coach Dave Rennie said: “We had four opportunities where if it sits up we score.
“I’m really happy with the character and courage, we just needed to turn some of the pressure into points and we didn’t.”
Glasgow move on to 12 points and Rennie admits finishing as one of the three best runners-up looks unlikely.
“We are disappointed because we did enough to get five points,” he added. “We will see what happens in those other games and find out what we need to do next week. The chances are slim.
“We will assess and go and throw everything at Sale.”
Press Association
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments