Victorious Chiefs offer a glimpse of their future
EXETER forwards coach Rob Hunter was relieved after Exeter came through a “heartstopper” of a finale to edge out London Irish 22-17 in the Gallagher Premiership.
Chiefs led 19-3 at the break, but Irish chipped away at the deficit and a visiting try three minutes from time from replacement Tom Pearson set up a tense ending. But Exeter held on to end a run of three straight defeats.
“It was a bit of a heartstopper there at the end, and many things we were doing that were just mad, but the only way to learn sometimes is to go through that,” said Hunter.
“For those of us who have been around a little while, it feels a little bit strange to have to learn it again, but we have got a really good group of young lads coming through.
“Dafydd Jenkins captaining us for the first time tonight is fantastic, and we have a real core of young guys who want to do well and the experience will be fantastic for them, and sometimes it is entertaining but it is not exactly relaxing.
“I thought our defence was fantastic, we had really good line speed, we dealt with their maul really well and overall against a side that is well coached and has some very good players, we actually looked in pretty good shape, but we need to work on some of our decision making.”
One such decision which almost cost Exeter dear was turning down a very kickable penalty at 22-10, which would have put Chiefs three scores clear, and Hunter added: “There is much discussion about that amongst the lads and quite a few of them thought that would have been a good decision.”
Irish started well and were rewarded for their early pressure with a Paddy Jackson penalty.
But Exeter, missing 22 players due to injuries and international callups, turned to their forwards to get them a firm foothold in the contest.
Back rower Dave Ewers drove over from close range after the attack had initially been launched by a weaving run from winger Olly Woodburn, with Joe Simmonds adding the conversion.
South African lock Ruben van Heerden forced his way over the whitewash 11 minutes later moments after Irish winger Ben Loader had been sin-binned for killing the ball - and Chiefs led 12-3.
Irish turned down a couple of very kickable penalties in search of a bigger prize by kicking to the corner but good home defence held them out, and they gifted the Chiefs their third try five minutes before half-time.
A no-look pass by South African centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg was intercepted by Woodburn, who ran 45 metres to touch down, with Simmonds adding the extras.
Irish began the second half very brightly, and after 12 minutes they finished off a quickly taken tap penalty, with Samoan number eight So’otala Fa’aso’o getting the grounding, and Jackson’s kick cutting the score to 19-10.
However, Irish gifted their hosts a penalty for offside almost straight from the restart, with Simmonds on target from 35 metres to edge Exeter further in front.
Irish kept battering away at the Exeter line, but some superb defence kept them out.
Chiefs’ young captain for the night Dafydd Jenkins rejected a penalty that would have put them three scores clear if slotted, and they then failed to throw in straight at the fivemetre line-out.
The potential importance of that was driven home by Irish three minutes from time when replacement Tom Pearson forced his way over the line, with Jackson converting to cut the gap to only five points, but Exeter hung on in the tense closing stages.
Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney said: “In the first half, when they got 19 points, we made it difficult for ourselves, we always know we will fight back into it, but what we have to do is learn not to have to do that.
“We will take responsibility for our errors and we will work to get better at those between us, nobody makes a mistake on purpose, and there were a couple of mistakes tonight that were within our own control and that’s what we will work on.
“I don’t want to be coming out with that message each week, there are other parts of our game we are working on too, and in the last couple of games we have been there or thereabouts. What we have to do is put that to good effect as the weeks go on, and once it does turn, we will be in a much better place.”