Sturgess warns of stern test

By Nick Warren

Former Connacht player Brett Sturgess has warned his Exeter Chiefs team-mates that they face a stern test against his old employers tomorrow (3pm).

The Chiefs take on the Irish province at Sandy Park in their second Pool Two match in the European Challenge Cup.

Prop Sturgess and his teammates need a win to put themselves in a strong position, following last week’s last-gasp 30-24 defeat in Bayonne.

But Connacht could prove a tough nut to crack as they have been in good form in the Guinness Pro12 league, losing just once, and beat La Rochelle 48-12 last weekend.

“In the last couple of years, the same as us, they’ve been in the top tier competition and they’ve had some good results in their league,” said Sturgess, who appeared off the bench against Bayonne.

“They won last week and they are a dangerous side. They are an exciting side to watch, they like to play on the counter, they’ve got some good backs and their set-piece has been performing well. They will pose us threats all over the pitch, but it’s up to us to figure out how to defend against them and how to attack them and then putting our plan on them on Saturday.”

Sturgess believes the key to progressing from a European group – as the Chiefs did in the old Amlin Challenge Cup in 2012 – is to win your home games.

After that away wins are a bonus, so victory this weekend has been made all the more important.

And the 32-year-old was frustrated by the manner of Exeter’s defeat last Saturday, after tries from Adam Hughes and Carl Rimmer had put them in a promising position.

Sturgess said: “When you start a European competition you say you need to win your home games and take as many points as you can away. The way we lost it we feel we left three points out there. We lost in the last minute but we should have had that game nipped in the bud before that.

“There was a definite momentum shift in the game which we gifted them a little bit. It was a disappointing result but the positive is if you can come away with a result and build on that in your home games you’re in good stead.”

Sturgess has been involved in Exeter’s last two games as a replacement, having been out of action since suffering a serious knee injury last December.

After proving his fitness in several academy and second team matches, he is glad to be back in the mix with the senior side.

“It’s been a tough and long road back,” said the former Northampton front-rower. “I’ve had some good games in the A League and managed to get off the bench last week and the previous week in the Premiership. It’s fantastic to be back around the guys and playing at Sandy Park as it has been a long road back and I feel like I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and starting to contribute to the squad.”