Chudley wary of Falcons threat

By Jack Miller
16/11/16

Personal pride is on the line for Will Chudley when Exeter Chiefs take on his former club Newcastle Falcons on Friday night.

However, the scrum-half insists the team comes before the individual in what he has described as ‘huge’ three-game block that could decide the Chiefs’ season.

Rob Baxter’s side have not won in their last three games in Aviva Premiership Rugby and currently are outside the top six – a far cry from last season when they finished runners-up to Saracens.

The Falcons are only two points behind the Chiefs in ninth and Dean Richards’ side will take some stopping at Kingston Park.

And Chudley is desperate for his side to start the climb back towards the play-off spots against his old teammates.

“This is one that you look for in the fixture list straight away and see when it is, it will be a great one,” said the 28-year-old former Falcon. “I think it’s a huge block these next three games for us and it starts with a big game on Friday.

“Every year they have improved and they have shown this season that they can beat anyone in the league, so it is going to be a really tough game. They have got a really good back three, a really good back row with threats all over the shop. We are going to have to go out there with all guns blazing on Friday.”

A shift in attacking mindset reaped rewards last weekend as the Chiefs youngsters ran in ten tries in an Anglo-Welsh walloping of Cardiff Blues at Sandy Park.

And Chudley hopes that has laid the groundwork for this run of three games back in the league.

“We changed a few things last week and we saw the fruits of that last weekend and the boys have set a really good marker for everyone and we have to try and back that up quickly,” he added. “We have changed a few things and adapted really well and I’m excited to see how we can adapt again this weekend.”

“It will be a completely different game, we will go out with the same mindset though and go after the game from minute one but we will have to see what they bring. We have lost a lot of games by one or two points but you do sort of create your own luck. Last year we came through a lot of those games so hopefully we can start to come through them.”