Kvesic happy to get the job done

By Mark Stevens
14/1/20

Matt Kvesic admitted he and his team-mates were happy to ‘get the job done’ after they secured their place in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals with Saturday’s 31-31 draw at Glasgow Warriors.

With one Pool Two game still to go, Rob Baxter’s side booked their place in the last eight for only the second time in the club’s history by producing a performance full of character against their Scottish hosts at Scotstoun Stadium.

Having trailed 14-3 following a slick start from the Warriors, Nic White helped to reduce the deficit before No.8 Kvesic got in on the scoring act, claiming the first of his two tries midway through the first half.

Jacques Vermeulen put the Chiefs in front for the first time five minutes before the break, only for the Warriors to hit back on the stroke of half time with a score of their own from scrum-half George Horne.

Both sides claimed bonus point tries in the second half, Kvesic claiming his second of the game, before former Chief Niko Matawalu sneaked his way over for the home side. However, neither side were able to add to their tally in a frantic last quarter.

Post-game, England international Kvesic said: “We knew coming up here would be tough. The last time we played them here, they spoilt the party a little bit. We knew we had a job to do - but we’ve done that now and got the points we needed.”

The Chiefs knew they needed just a solitary point to ensure they would top Pool Two and it was Kvesic’s second half try which ensured the Devonians would be heading into the quarter-finals.

“We had a game plan we talked about before the game,” said Kvesic. “I’m not sure if we totally executed it, but we got what was needed done, we’ll take the draw, and we look forward to going through into the quarter-finals.”

Not for the first time this season, Exeter’s powerful pick-and-go game was at the heart of a lot of their best efforts.

“We’re pretty effective in that area,” continued Kvesic. “We know if we play like we did a lot of the time today, we are a dangerous side. Of course there were a few errors we committed and towards the end they were looking to run everything, but we got the win and now we can move onto next week and the La Rochelle game.”