Hepher hails his Chiefs
By Mark Stevens
24/9/17
Head coach Ali Hepher was full of praise for his Exeter Chiefs side as they maintained top spot in the Aviva Premiership with a 31-17 victory over Wasps at Sandy Park.
The defending champions clocked up their third maximum haul of the season, sinking their rivals with a five-try display that yielded tries for Olly Woodburn (2), Dave Dennis, Don Armand and Shaun Malton.
Four of those scores had already been achieved by half time and Hepher was delighted with the way in which the Devonians went about their work in the first meeting between the club since Exeter saw off Wasps in May’s Premiership Final at Twickenham.
“It’s a great result for us and has put us back on top of the table, which is fantastic,” said Hepher. “To go in at half time, 14 points up against the wind, we’ll take that at any time. Being honest we’re a little bit disappointed that we weren’t quite as ruthless as we could have been in the second half, but that’s being a little bit picky on our part.
“When you pick up five points against a very good Wasps side, you can’t be too critical. As you saw, the guys put a lot of hard work and effort into the game and they almost punched themselves out come the end. By doing that, it took a huge amount of Wasps as well and we kind of reaped our rewards from that with the tries.”
Although missing a handful of key names, the Chiefs - who gave first Premiership starts to both Elvis Taione and Sam Skinner - looked as slick as ever.
“Even when we went behind and again at 10-all, we stuck to task and kept working and working.In the first half especially, we carried well, we kept things nice and direct, and that in turn gave us front foot ball to work with. Getting the two tries just before the break was key and put us in a great position.”
Woodburn’s brace was again impressive and on another day the Exeter winger would easily have been walking away with the game’s man of the match gong. Instead, it was club-mate Henry Slade, who stole the show, producing an eye-catching display that not only helped his side to victory, but reminded England head coach Eddie Jones of his proven talents.
As one of three Chiefs players called into Jones’ latest training squad, Slade could not have picked a better time or occasion to showcase his worth. He eclipsed opposite number Elliot Daly, a man who will no doubt be rivalling him for a potential role with England in the upcoming Autumn internationals.
The Exeter centre carried for 72 metres in 12 carries, beat seven defenders and produced an all-round display that was rightly saluted when he exited the field with just two minutes remaining to a standing ovation.
Quizzed about the form of the Plymouth-born playmaker, Hepher said his man was clearly playing at a high level and that such a display had been instigated by Slade himself.
“Sladey’s been playing well all season,” said Hepher. “He’s an incredibly driven bloke. It’s not all out there for people to see but deep down there’s a highly motivated lad.” Attacking the ball slightly quicker has also helped him and those around him. “If he’s playing at pace, he can then pick his options. He fights for everything and he’s defending as well as any centre in the Premiership. He’s starting to round off into a really top-quality player.
Likewise, there are others within the Chiefs ranks who continue to dazzle. Armand and Woodburn are two players bang in form, as is Sam Simmonds, who has enjoyed an electrifying start to the new season. Sadly, the No.8 - who has scored four tries in as many games - had his afternoon cut short, following a hefty collision with opposite number Nathan Hughes.
Thankfully, Simmonds - who was stretchered from the field initially - was later up and about, sitting on the bench with his team-mates. However, he will have to undergo the various HIA protocols this week to see if he will be fit for Exeter’s trip to Leicester this Saturday.
With or without Simmonds, it seems the Chiefs are more than happy to go about their business with relative fuss. The seamless way in which players are integrated into the mix is clear to see, as is the desire to kick-on and deliver even more in the top flight this term.
“A few of the older guys could easily have sat back over the summer and said, ‘That’s us’ but they haven’t done that.”
Instead, they’ve focused fully on starting the new season with a bang, a point underlined with this latest test of character on home soil.
“We have a group here who are pushing hard and willing to fight for everything,” added Hepher. “They are all highly motivated and have an inner determination to do well and push this club forward. We see that every day, both in training and in games, and it’s on days like today that it really comes to the fore.”
As well as putting the Chiefs at the summit of the table, the victory also gave them the perfect confidence booster to take into their clash with Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.
Hepher knows better than most the reception that awaits the Chiefs at the weekend, continuing: “Leicester is never easy, it’s one of the toughest places to go in the division. What we have to do now is dust ourselves down, relax a little, and then get ready to go again on Tuesday.
“What we have to do is keep pushing ahead and play like we did in the first half. If we can do that, then I think we’ll be in a good place.”