Chiefs to face Gloucester-Hartpury
By Mark Stevens
23/6/23
Months and weeks in the planning for the Exeter Chiefs Women will come down to just one match tomorrow as Susie Appleby’s side look to be crowned Allianz Premier 15s champions for the first time ever.
Undone in last year’s final at the hands of Saracens, the Devonians this time face Gloucester-Hartpury, themselves in the showpiece event for the first time, at what will be a busy Queensholm (3:30pm).
Having already pocketed the Allianz Cup, the thought of claiming a history-making double is high on the agenda for the Chiefs, who underlined their qualities just a fortnight ago by downing the defending champions 24-21 in a blood and thunder semi-final tussle.
In the other last four encounter, Gloucester-Hartpury - who finished the regular season top of the pile in the Premier 15s - saw off near neighbours Bristol Bears 21-12 to secure their spot on home soil.
Now, the division’s top two will rightly battle it out for the league title in what should be a mouth-watering encounter this weekend.
“Our prep has been good,” said Chiefs assistant coach Steve Salvin. “Prep is all about habit and we try and get that habit right every week, regardless of who we play or the importance of the game. Monday and Tuesday was really positive and I expect our last session to be the same. That said, it is a bit different. Whether people admit or not, it’s a Prem Final at the weekend, so you have to understand the pressure that comes with that.
“As a squad, it’s how you harness that pressure and that build-up which is key. Losing last year’s final, it wasn’t great, but it has given us that experience and other things that we can use in the build up to this weekend.”
Salvin acknowledged that for many at the club, just getting to the final was an achievement in itself 12 months ago. This time round, however, expectations are much different and the Chiefs will make the trek up the M5 determined to go one better against the Cherry & Whites.
“I’ll be honest, we weren’t ready to win it last year,” admitted Salvin. “We had built huge momentum up through the Cup run and that kind of carried us through the regular season and then to beating Bristol in the semi-final. After that, we didn’t really have the cohesion or the resilience to react to Saracens and the challenge they brought that day.
“This year has been a lot different, we’ve had to deal with a lot more adversity this time. We’ve had much tougher tests running into this final, we even lost a couple of games, but the girls have kept working incredibly hard and doing everything we have asked of them.
“Look, we’re under no illusions, we know this weekend is going to be just as tough. They [Gloucester] have had a fantastic season and they recruited very well last summer with some of the players they brought in. We fully understand we can win it this weekend, but we can also lose it, it’s what happens in that 80 minutes. As I said, though, the experience of last year sets us up nicely.”
In what is only Exeter’s third season in the top-flight game, Salvin paid tribute to the work and commitment shown by Appleby and club chief executive, Tony Rowe CBE, in helping create the Chiefs set-up.
“They have been the driving forces behind all of this,” said Salvin. “Go back three or four years, there was nothing. Everything has been created from scratch. I have to give a lot of praise for Susie for the calibre of player she has been able to bring in - without that vision and they knowledge, we wouldn’t be where we are now.
“That said, we’ve also created an environment in which we’re all striving for excellent and improvement all the time. Yes, we’re moving in the right direction as the last couple of years have shown, but regardless of the result this weekend, we’ll be doing exactly the same again next season and beyond.
“It’s not just the here and now that we are looking at, we’re looking to the future and the development of the whole squad moving forward. For me as a a coach, there is nothing more rewarding than to see a player come through the ranks. To have them here initially as whipper snappers and to then see them go onto the very highest level and play internationally, that’s what we want to see more and more of.”
Helping to develop the next generation of Chiefs is current captain Poppy Leitch, who combines her playing role with her work heading up the women’s programme at the University of Exeter. Salvin says he has been taken aback by the efforts of the on-field leader in helping to develop the stars of the future.
“Poppy has been immense, both as a player, a captain and in her role with the university,” he said. “She keeps us as coaches on our toes all the time, challenging us and bringing in ideas all the time, but she’s also a phenomenal leader. She’s an integral part of this team and a very special talent.”
Team news for the Chiefs sees the visitors stick largely with the same side that defeated Saracens in the semi-final at Sandy Park. In the pack, the sole change sees Irish international Edel McMahon come in on the blindside for Abbie Fleming, who drops to the bench; while behind the scrum, fit-again England international Claudia MacDonald takes her place on the wing with Katie Buchanan named amongst the replacements.
