Rimmer targets Cup victory

 

Exeter Chiefs forward Carl Rimmer says now is the time to end their wretched run against Bath.

Chiefs travel to the Recreation Ground on Sunday (1pm) for an LV= Cup victory, and their first competitive win in any competition against their Westcountry rivals since 1978.

Rimmer believes a win on Sunday against Bath would be well timed, with the sides due to meet again in the Premiership on November 30.

He said: “That record is really one of those things you try not to focus on as a player because you don’t want it to get in your head.

“Now would be a good time to get rid of it, especially as we’re going up there again in a few weeks’ time. It really isn’t something we try to make important but it would be good to get the monkey off our back.”

While Chiefs began their LV= Cup campaign with a win over Harlequins, Bath earned an away victory over Sale Sharks.

Rimmer said: “They are a very tough side and very tough up front, which is where we always try and match teams. It will be a big weekend.

“That said, we just work on the same things every week. There might be a few things we tweak for each team we’re playing against. If you keep chopping and changing things there will be no continuity, so we keep working on things we are good at week after week.”

The Cup weekends usually allow Premiership sides to rest their key men and offer young players, and those returning from injury, a first-team run-out.

But although Chiefs changed their entire starting XV last weekend, the likes of fit-again Luke Arscott, Sireli Naqelevuki and Jack Nowell ensured it was just as potent as the previous week.

“It was a new XV, but most people had played before and there were some legends in there that would have easily featured in the Premiership game the week before,” said Rimmer.

“It is great that those guys are back from injury and that they can come in and do a job for us now.”

Prop Rimmer has yet to start in the Premiership this season, instead making four appearances off the replacements’ bench. He hopes to make an impression this weekend.

Even so, the most important thing to him is the team’s performance. It is crucial Chiefs maintain their good form with Premiership games against Saracens and Bath to come before their Heineken Cup clash with Toulon.

And with the LV= Cup final taking place at Sandy Park in 2014, there is a strong desire to do well in every competition this term.

“These two weeks are huge for myself,” he said. “I haven’t played as much rugby as I would have liked but it doesn’t matter now – it is about playing well this weekend.

“In these early stages of the season, there is no reason why we shouldn’t go out there and target the LV= Cup. We want to go out there and make this competition our own.

“We are all in this squad together and if we had lost two games in a row, it is not such a good atmosphere to be in, going back into the Sarries game in the Premiership. We want to keep this winning feeling going.”