Hooley faces former friends

As Storm Frank wreaked havoc and heavy rain and gale-force winds battered the UK this week, Exeter Chiefs were busy preparing a “Hooley” of their own to unleash on Northampton Saints today (3pm).

Former Saints fly-half Will Hooley returns to Franklin’s Gardens for the first time since his summer switch to Devon, looking to heap more misery on his former employers, who have struggled to hit the heights of last year, where they finished the regular season on top of the Premiership pile.

Hooley has had to bide his time since arriving at Exeter with Henry Slade and Gareth Steenson’s fine form limiting his opportunities at ten thus far.

The unfortunate injury to England ace Slade has presented the 22-year-old former England Under-20 international with his chance and he has been involved from the bench in each of Exeter’s last two games. Now, he hopes to start at Northampton.

“Those opportunities may be small, or they may be big, but you have to take them,” Hooley said. “I guess that is sport at the end of the day, you have to take your opportunities when they come and in whatever manner they come.

“I knew when I moved down here that it was one of the things that drove me, wanting to get those opportunities, I knew I would get them and now it’s about taking them with both hands.

“It’s early days, there is still a lot of the season left and a long way to go, but I am champing at the bit to get out there when I can.”

Running out at Franklin’s Gardens is nothing new to Hooley, who admits the game was the first he looked out for when the fixtures were released last summer.

“It was, definitely!” he said. “It’s nice that it’s New Years Day, so there are family around and friends around, they are all looking to get to the game. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look out for it!

“But really, all that matters is us as a team. We had a good win against Sale at the weekend and we are looking to project forward now and focus on Northampton, making sure we lay down a better performance than we did against Sale.

“I think we will need a better performance knowing what Northampton can bring. They haven’t been in the nest of form, so there is that fear where you know they are going to come at you. We are going to be ready for that I am sure, but at the back of our minds, we know it is going to be a tough game.”

Hooley added: “Obviously I was there before I came here at the start of the season, I was there from the age of 12, so it is a club close to my heart in many respects.

“But like anything, I have moved on, I am focusing very much on Exeter Chiefs and what we are about.

“I am looking to go to Franklin’s Gardens and perform well and get a good result and I am sure I will catch up with a few of my friends and former team-mates after the game, which I am sure will be good.”

Saints sit 12 points behind Exeter at the moment having won three and lost four of their seven games so far this campaign. But while they may be facing a side struggling to find form, Hooley is only too aware of the danger his former side possess.

“It is still early day,” he said. “Although it is December now, there is still so much rugby to go and you can’t write anyone off, especially Northampton.

“The coaches they have got there and the players – they are of the absolute highest quality and while things aren’t clicking for them right now, they will be working hard in the week and a game like this, they will be going all guns blazing to get back on form.”