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‘We haven’t unlocked our potential’: Hungry Chiefs set for Bear hunt
Exeter Chiefs centre Gabby Cantorna has warned the club’s Premiership Women’s Rugby rivals they have “a little bit more in the tank” following their impressive start to the season.
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Chiefs face Bristol Bears in a West Country derby at Ashton Gate on Saturday, live on RugbyPass TV, sitting top of the PWR table with seven wins from as many matches so far.
That run includes victories against back-to-back defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury – who beat Exeter 50-19 in last season’s semi-finals – and traditional powerhouses Saracens.
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Exeter are guaranteed to remain top of the league at the halfway stage regardless of the result in Bristol but another victory would represent a considerable marker in their quest for a first title.
“We’re all happy with how the season’s started off and how we’re trending so far,” Cantorna told RugbyPass. “We’re just hungry for more and want to keep growing and kind of pushing ourselves out.
“We feel like we have a little bit more in the tank and more potential to reach. So, we’re just trying to connect those pieces together.”
She added: “I think we have a ton of potential. We have a lot of really talented players who have different perspectives and come from different places.
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“So, I think there’s a huge potential for us if we can connect all of those pieces and get us all focusing and pushing in the right direction together.
“It’s really exciting. I think we haven’t unlocked necessarily our potential and I’m hoping to see us develop and get there as the season goes on.”
Exeter lost all five of their PWR matches against Gloucester-Hartpury and Saracens last season, but Cantorna insists Chiefs are not getting carried away by their wins in those games this term.
“We’ve never struggled with belief in ourselves,” she said. “It definitely bolsters the group and kind of knits us together. But we’re really just focusing on how we can improve and taking it game by game, week by week.
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“We’re not necessarily getting ourselves carried away with looking at the bigger picture. We’re just focusing on all the challenges.
“I think the whole league in itself has stepped up this year and I think every game is competitive. So, we’re not counting anybody out.”
This weekend’s trip to Bristol has been given an added edge by the news earlier this week that USA sevens star Ilona Maher has signed a short-term deal with the Bears.
Cantorna knows Maher well, having played with her in both of her Test appearances for the Women’s Eagles three years ago and against her in university.
And although she insisted her countrywoman’s arrival had “not particularly” added to Saturday’s occasion, Cantorna is happy to see her in the league and is looking forward to catching up with her at Ashton Gate.
“Obviously, she’s had a great year herself. The US sevens team was really successful at the Olympics, which we love to see,” the Chiefs playmaker said.
“She’s worked really hard to grow her following and as a result has gotten a lot of opportunities that she’s taken, which is really exciting for her and for rugby as a whole because she’s helping to drive the game and grow it.
“So, I mean potentially she’ll bring some more supporters out. Obviously, she’s been there a week, so it’s unsure really of what that will look like.
“It’ll be exciting to see her and see how she’s settling in and you know, say hi to her after the game and welcome her into the league.”
In light of recent events… 🇺🇸#SheInspires | @ThePWR pic.twitter.com/YDHbZKF4pt
— Exeter Chiefs Women (@ExeChiefsWomen) December 3, 2024
Maher is rugby’s most followed player on social media, with 4.6 million followers on Instagram alone and Bristol have already seen their own presence on that platform more than double.
The club have advertised for a social media manager position during Maher’s short spell and the impact of her arrival was also evident in the decision to move their match against Gloucester-Hartpury, which could be the American’s debut, from Shaftesbury Park to Ashton Gate.
Exeter’s social media team attempted to muscle in on that reach with a series of memes directed at their rivals up the M5 this week, suggesting the Chiefs already possessed the PWR’s best American talent.
It was an approach that was not universally popular among the women’s rugby community, and one post was deleted, but it raised a smile on Cantorna’s face, at least.
“There’s always a bit of a rivalry when you play against any of our US teammates,” she said. “You always want to beat your teammates. It’s a little bit of fun, a little bit of banter.
“But I did see it, I thought it was funny. A couple of them were good memes, so the social media guys were working overtime and, you know, credit to them.
“She has a big platform, so I think it’s to be expected that there’s memes and stuff about it. It’s just kind of how the Internet works now, isn’t it?”
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