Dennis aims to deliver
By Mark Stevens
27/9/18
Exeter Chiefs may have produced a near perfect start to the new Gallagher Premiership season, but those inside the Devon camp insists there is still ‘more to come’ from them moving forward.
Last week’s 24-17 win at Newcastle Falcons ensured Rob Baxter’s side of a fourth successive league win and has them nicely placed in second spot heading into this Saturday’s home tussle against Worcester Warriors (3pm).
Never before in their top-flight status have the Chiefs started a campaign so well, but according to Aussie international Dave Dennis there are elements of the Exeter game plan that can still be fine-tuned.
“If you look at the scoreboard, we’ve got four wins from four, which is the first time the club have achieved that,” said Dennis. “That’s a positive in that regard, but internal we are conscious of pushing our game on a bit and playing to a higher standard than we’ve shown so far.
“We’ve had patches of good rugby in all the games, but there is more to come and we can still be better. That’s the motivation for all of us moving forward.
“Right now we’re comfortable scoring points, we like to play with ball in hand chase those bonus points. We’re putting teams under pressure with our attack, but if we’re honest our defence has let us down a few times and we’ve leaked some soft points. And that’s been a good focus for us this week moving into the Worcester game, we know we have to lift that intensity in defence.”
Standing in the way of the Chiefs this weekend, however, will be a Worcester outfit who themselves are on a high having collected their first win of the season last Sunday, courtesy of a 44-37 victory at Leicester Tigers.
That success, coupled with the knowledge that they were the last side to down the Chiefs on home soil in the Premiership last February, means they are a creditable threat for Dennis and his team-mates to contend with.
“Every team is tough,” warned the 32-year-old forward. “Gone are the days where you talk about Worcester as potential relegation contenders. They’ve got their own motivations to push up the ladder and stay in the Premiership - and they are showing that in the way they are playing.
“You don’t put 40-odd points on Leicester at home if you can’t score points, while in other games they’ve been in there fighting and picking up bonus points, so they are going well. As people have said, history also shows the last time they came here they knocked us off. That’s been mentioned a little this week, but the key focus has been on ourselves and making sure we perform to the level we are capable of. If we can do that, then the result should look after itself.”
Now into his third season with the Chiefs following his move from the Waratahs in the summer of 2016, Dennis is looking to make up for lost time having missed out on much of last season through a series of niggling injuries.
“I can’t complain about my first season at all,” he said. “Being involved in a title-winning side was great, but last year was a lot tougher what with the injuries. I know it’s part and parcel of the game, I think I only managed 12 games in total, but as a player you want to be out there playing each week.
“I had surgery over the summer, worked hard and I’ve put myself in a position to hopefully have a good long year ahead. There is lots of rugby to be played, but physically I feel good.”