Camacho's positive outlook

 

Gonzalo Camacho insists Exeter Chiefs can compete on all fronts this season, and wants them to bounce back from defeat to Northampton by challenging Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup.

The Argentinean wing was part of the Chiefs side that fell to a disappointing 30-19 defeat on Saturday, their first in the Aviva Premiership at Sandy Park so far this campaign.

Rob Baxter's troops endured a difficult start to their debut season in the Heineken Cup with defeats at Leinster and at home to Clermont, before back-to-back wins against the Scarlets.

But the 28-year-old knows the size of the task facing Exeter is a big one with Top 14 French side Clermont having won their last 53 consecutive home matches in all competitions.

"Losing at the weekend to Northampton was a big disappointment - it was very frustrating as things didn't quite go our way," said Camacho, who hails from Buenos Aires.

"We gave away too many penalties and they covered a lot of territory, controlling the ball. They ended up winning by 11 points but we felt the scoreboard should have been a lot tighter.

"We need to keep working hard to improve. We must play for the full 80 minutes while not giving opportunities to the opposition, especially when they are as clinical as Northampton.

"It is important to prove ourselves in our next game, but it will be very hard at Clermont because they have won their last 53 games at home. They are very good at home and it will be a tough game as they are a top side, but we will give it a real go - we don't have anything to lose.

"When we played them here at Sandy Park we dominated the first half but didn't take our chances, and Clermont were clinical in the second half. We need to be better this time around."

The Chiefs currently sit seventh in the Aviva Premiership standings, although they are just six points behind London Wasps who occupy fourth place.

And former Harlequins man Camacho, who has 20 international caps to his name, believes that he and his team-mates can be competitive in all three formats this season.

"We want to compete in all three tournaments - the Aviva Premiership, the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup too," he added. "The aim is always to do the best you can as a professional, to try and finish as high as you can, and I want to be in the top four of the Premiership - that's my ambition.

"There is great ambition in the rest of the team too and we want to finish in the top two of the Heineken Cup to carry on in the competition."