Woodburn relishing facing former club

By Nigel Walrond

New Exeter Chiefs signing Olly Woodburn is looking forward to coming up against his former club when Bath visit Sandy Park on Saturday in the West Country Challenge Cup (3pm).

The talented 23-year-old winger made his first appearance in a Chiefs shirt in the 41-38 victory over Gloucester last weekend.

Exeter head coach Rob Baxter played a different XV in each half, and Woodburn was handed the opening 40 minutes.

He certainly made a favourable impression, having a large hand in a try for his fellow winger James Short, and was pleased to get some game time under his belt after his summer move from the Recreation Ground.

"It was good fun, it was great weather and a good turn-out, with a lot of people coming to Sandy Park, and it was really good to get a win against Gloucester. It is always fun playing against them, they bring a lot of support, and I really enjoyed it."

He added: "It has been a long pre-season, and you can do a lot of running, a lot of skills and a lot of training, but nothing prepares you for the contact when you get into a game. You still feel a bit rusty running onto the pitch, and pre-season games are there to bring you into form. It has been a good pre-season, but I am looking forward to getting into the league action."

It is not ideal playing two fellow Premiership sides twice each in pre-season, especially, with Bath away being Exeter’s opening game in the Aviva Premiership on October 17, and it is a situation rather forced on the Chiefs by a late start to the league season caused by the World Cup taking place on these shores, but Woodburn is pleased to take part in the pre-season tournament.

"It is really good how it has been done," he said. "I like the competition at this stage of the season, it really wakes you up and really gets you straight into things. Personally, it will be fun next Saturday playing against my old friends from Bath, and I can’t wait for that fixture."

Woodburn knows he is in for a fight to start the Premiership opener against Bath, with the likes of Matt Jess, James Short, Jack Nowell and Ian Whitten all vying for a wing berth, and he said: "There is a lot of competition in my position, so you keep your head down and try and do as much as you can to get your foot in the door in the first part of the season."

Woodburn admitted it had been ‘a massive challenge’ for him moving to a new club following four years playing for the Bath first team after coming through the club’s Academy.



"It is my first new club, and I’ve been getting used to a new culture and meeting all the boys, but it has actually been an easier transition (than I thought it would be), with all the boys being very welcoming," he added.
"It is a tight-knit group, and everyone has been very helpful with my move, so I have really enjoyed coming down here.

"It was a great ice-breaker going down to Benidorm with the lads when we returned for pre-season, and having a few quiet drinks together is always fun. Then when you start training, you already know each other and it is business as usual."

It is going to be a brutal season for all Premiership clubs, with the World Cup meaning the campaign has been shortened.

It will be a relentless schedule of either Premiership or European Champions Cup games, with no LV= Cup this year – when frontline first teamers normally take a well-earned rest from the action.

"Once we start there is no break until the end, so we have got to stay focused and got to stay in form," said Woodburn. "It is going to be a challenge, but I am really excited about it."