Final success is just reward - Pellow

By Mark Stevens
4/5/2016

Skills coach Ricky Pellow says Exeter Chiefs will continue to use the Aviva Premiership A League as a development tool in producing potential stars of the future for the club.

Cornishman Pellow watched on with great pride as his Exeter Braves side claimed their second A League title with a 55-25 victory over Northampton Wanderers at Sandy Park on Monday.

Experienced skipper Kai Horstmann led the way with two scores, while there were also touchdowns for Michele Campagnaro, Brett Sturgess, Elvis Taione, Ben White, Tom Hendrickson, Byron McGuigan and Sam Simmonds, while former Northampton youngster Will Hooley did the rest of the damage by booting over five conversions.

It capped another hugely successful campaign for the Braves, who have produced some outstandings displays this term both home and away.

"The A Legaue has always been a great tool for us to develop younger players and to keep some of those older guys fresh and game ready," said Pellow. "This year has been tough because of the make-up of the season, but throughout the guys have stuck together well and produced some outstanding performances.

"If you look at our side for the final, we had full internationals lining up alongside guys from the University and that's how it has been throughout the season. It doesn't matter who was asked to play, every one of them stepped up to the mark and put in a performance."

Monday's game - watched by a crowd of just over 4,500 - saw what is likely be the final appearance of a number of the current Exeter squad in club colours and Pellow said it was fitting they had such an occasion in which to bow.

"For some of the guys out there that could well have been the last time they play here at Sandy Park, so it was great that they were able to go out like that," added Pellow. "It's always sad when you see players leave - for whatever reason - but as I said they've all had a big influence on what we've done here at the club.

"I told them to enjoy the moment there and then, but come Tuesday we would all need to get back in here and get ourselves ready for what is a massive Premiership game at Harlequins this week and then a semi-final in a few weeks' time."

Pellow also paid tribute to the support his side had received throughout the A League campaign.

"To get a home semi-final and then a home final was a dream scenario for us," he continued. "A few weeks ago we were thinking we would be going to Newcastle away and then probably Northampton away, but Bristol did us a massive favour in beating Saracens and all of a sudden everything changed.

"To have home advantage for these last two games was massive and it really helped having such support coming from the sidelines. To have over 4,000 people here on a Bank Holiday Monday was a great achievement and I know all the guys were greatly appreciative of that kind of backing."