Exeter Chiefs
Brave Chiefs Fight Back to Earn Losing Bonus Point
WTV
By Williams_The_Voice
October 4 2010
WTV reviews Chiefs v Saints and the gaining of a valuable LBP.
Brave Chiefs Fight Back to Earn Losing Bonus Point.
With an hour gone in Exeter’s first game at Franklin’s Gardens as a Premiership outfit, the omens were not good. Soane Tonga’uiha, that colossus of a man, had ended up at the bottom of a driving maul to make the score 27-9 to the home side. Comparisons with the second half at Quins the previous week were inevitable. Would the scoreline take the same one-sided complexion at the final whistle this week?
The travelling tribe arrived in Northampton in good time and were treated to an impromptu tour of the town by the coach driver. Someone spotted a ‘gentleman’s club,’ but due to the lack of any gentlemen on the coach entry was refused.
Fortunately, there was no sign of the snow which had greeted us on our last visit to Saints two years ago!
On what was a pleasant autumn afternoon, the Tribe were given a round of applause for the pre-match rendition of the Tomahawk Chop. The Saints were unlikely to be as hospitable on the pitch, but intriguingly the first chance at goal fell to Exeter, but unusually Steenson failed with his attempt from the half-way line.
The kicking duties for the Saints were handed to the ever-dependable Bruce Reihana, who opened the home side’s account with two penalties to give them a 6-0 lead after quarter of an hour. In doing so he reached the landmark of 1,000 points for the club, a superb achievement. The lead was extended when wing Paul Diggin, replacing the prolific Chris Ashton, dotted down in the corner following a spell of Saints’ pressure – although the Chiefs’ defence perhaps should have done better. Thus, with a quarter of the game gone, Exe were facing a 13-0 deficit. Indeed it took 25 minutes for the Chiefs’ to get the scoreboard moving, Steenson taking advantage after Northampton had infringed at the scrum.
Reihana and Steenson then traded penalties (16-6) before Steenson punished the Saints again following a cynical offside by Clarke. This made it 16-9 at half-time, and, as last week, Exe were still very much in the game.
With Northampton continuing to cause the Chiefs’ no end of problems at scrum-time, Reihana was on target twice more as the Saints extended their lead to 22-9. To their credit, Exe rallied and had a spell of pressure in the home side’s 22 – but failed to find the killer pass. Eventually Northampton turned the ball over and broke from virtually their own line, and with the champagne try very much a possibility they went and threw a forward pass. They were not as profligate with their next opportunity as, from a lineout in the Chiefs’ 22, the rolling maul gained momentum and Tonga’uiha scored for the 3rd time this season. (27-9)
Unlike at Harlequins a week ago, the Chiefs refused to let their heads drop. They were soon on the offensive again and, having had a driving maul of their own repelled by the home side – Northampton infringed 4 times in their own 22, which lead to a yellow card for centre Clarke, much to the displeasure of the home crowd. After a tap penalty by Junior Polu, who else but former Saint Chris Budgen picked up from the base of a ruck and powered his way over. Steenson added the extras to make it 27-16.
The Chiefs continued to mount attacks into the Saints 22 and were rewarded when Luke Arscott scored right in the corner. Steenson failed to convert from wide out, and suddenly Exe were in losing bonus point territory! Indeed 27-21 was the final score, and the Chop resounded around Franklin’s Gardens in appreciation of a superb effort by Rob Baxter’s men.
My own expectations going into the game were low – just that the lads put in a performance showing character and to get a better result than at Quins. At 27-9 there was a feeling that Saints smelt blood and were after a bonus point, but every credit to the team for not giving up. It definitely feels like one crucial point gained. I cannot see too many sides getting much at the Gardens this year – Leicester lost by 8 on the opening weekend, Bath lost by 21 a fortnight ago and were terrible.
Although our weakness in the scrum will concern Rob and the coaching staff – the performances of Tom Johnson, new boy Sireli Naquelevuki and the returning Chris Bentley will be encouraging.
But let’s put this in perspective: most ‘experts’ predicted a Northampton win by a mile. That didn’t happen. We got a point at a side who will be expecting to challenge for honours this year. The mood in the bar afterwards and on the bus home was that we were delighted to have got something from the match.
A special mention to the Tribe stood in the Gordon’s Terrace : the atmosphere was fantastic and they never failed to get behind the team. A big thank you to the Saints fans I met for being so welcoming, and I look forward to welcoming them back to Sandy Park in March. All in all a great day out.
Our attention now turns to the next adventure: European Rugby is coming. Bring it on. See you there,
Matt.
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04/10/2010 22:38
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loved it.
About that last try. Have you seen this?
[www.rugbynetwork.net]
Looks ok to me.
Anyway I don't mind as you deserved your bonus point. Best of luck and see you at a packed Sandy Park for the rematch. Gonna make a weekend of it, as will many,
Hmm, now there's an idea.
