Pellow sees the positives

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs coach Ricky Pellow admitted his team would take positives despite slipping to a 16-6 defeat in the LV= Cup to Westcountry rivals Bath at the Recreation Ground.

Two tries in the second half from on-loan Munster scrum-half Peter Stringer proved pivotal as the Chiefs not only saw their 100 per record in the competition come to an end, but their place at the top of Pool One surrendered to Harlequins, who themselves saw off London Welsh 23-6.

In an impressive first half display from the visitors, the Chiefs sadly failed to capitalise on their dominance in both possession and territory and had to turn around at six-all as Bath's Tom Heathcote cancelled out two penalties from opposite number Henry Slade.

Although the Chiefs again threatened in the second period, a miserly Bath defence proved unbreakable as they stretched their unbeaten sequence over Exeter to eight games since 2010.

“It is frustrating, and the players are kicking themselves that a first win against Bath since we moved up into the Premiership slipped away from us, but we can take positives from how we are playing and how we are moving forward," said Pellow at the final whistle.

Pellow admitted that a failure to take try-scoring chances that came along, particularly in the first half, had ultimately cost the Devon club dear.

“It is frustrating, but the most pleasing thing is we created those chances,” added Pellow.  “We need to go away and have a look at how we could have finished them, and of course, if we had done that, the result and the performance would have been different, but we are carving out those chances, and we feel we are moving forward in our attack each week.

“We now just need to really focus on being a bit more clinical. Full credit to Bath though, they controlled the momentum just after half-time, and they got into scoring positions and took their chances.”

Indeed, experienced Irish international Stringer showed the Chiefs how it should be done as he twice sniped his way over from close range to cap a memorable home debut for the 35-year-old.

Pellow, himself a former Bath scrum-half, said of Stringer's showing: "He is an international number nine, and he came in and controlled the tempo and structure of the game. For any young scrum-half looking at how to control momentum and how to swing a game, it would have been a good match for them to watch.

“He is a very good scrum-half, and we needed to shut him down, but we gave him too much time around the fringes of the driving line-out.”

Despite Stringer's double, the Chiefs were never totally out of contention and in a late attacking flurry, they did come within a whisker of crossing the home line.

“We always talk about not panicking if we go behind, and to keep our composure,” said Pellow. “One try in any game will get you back into it, whatever the scoreline, and if we had been a bit more clinical and a bit more accurate, and scored, that would have put us back in the game.

“Full credit to the guys, they kept on attacking the game and taking it to Bath, and if we had got a try, it would have been a really interesting finish.”

As well as handing competitive debuts to both Kai Horstmann (pictured) and Watisoni Votu, the Chiefs again fielded a number of their up-and-coming starlets in the form of Slade, Sam Hill, Jack Nowell, Joel Conlon, Will Carrick-Smith and Luke Cowan-Dickie.

And Exeter's skills coach says the benefit of the youngsters playing in competitions like the LV= Cup will only help enhance their development moving forward.

“Henry Slade controlled the game well at ten in the first half; Jack Nowell was coming back from a head injury at full-back and carried really well; and Sam Hill in midfield also carried really well,” said Pellow.

The match also marked a Chiefs’ debut for No.8 Horstmann after five months out with a hamstring injury - and Pellow was delighted for him on his first showing.

“The way he leads a side is a massive credit to him. 80 minutes for him was tough, but he got through it and his hamstring held up. His performance was good as well and it is good to have him back in action because he is a great guy to have around the club.”

Exeter face their final Pool One match against Pool Four leaders Northampton Saints at Sandy Park on Saturday, knowing it is a must-win game if they are to stand any chance of reaching the LV= Cup semi-finals.

“We have got to have a really focused training week, and we have got another chance to impress at home in front of a very passionate Exeter crowd, and get stuck into Northampton,” said Pellow.