Pellow names 7s squad

By Mark Stevens
25/7/18

Ricky Pellow wants his Exeter Chiefs side to ‘lay down a marker’ for the new season as they prepare for this week’s Premiership Rugby 7s at Franklin’s Gardens.

Skills coach Pellow will once again oversee the Chiefs as they head to Northampton on Friday for the annual tournament, which has in recent years provided the perfect curtain-raiser to the new campaign.

With competition provided by all 11 of their top-flight rivals, the Chiefs will tackle Bath and Worcester Warriors on opening night, hoping to advance for another year into the latter stages which take place 24 hours later.

“Over the last three or four years, it’s a competition we’ve really attacked as a club,” said the Cornishman. “Not only is a good opportunity for some of our younger players to get some decent game time under their belts, but we’ve also got that sprinkling of senior guys who really help to add something to the mix.

“We’ve talked a lot already in pre-season about how we want to attack this season as a group and for these guys they have the first chance to do that. Not only is it a chance for them to show what they can do, but it’s also a chance for us as a club to lay down a marker and show the rest of the Premiership how we are going to go after this season.

“The players have done well so far in pre-season and they’ve all worked really hard, but this is our first real chance to see the real fruits of all that training. As I said, we’ve got some real quality in our group, especially with the likes of Shorty [James Short], Flats [Tom O’Flaherty] and Santi [Cordero], mixed in with young guys like Sam Maunder, Harry Strong, Richard Capstick Charlie Wright and Barry Karea.”

Pellow continued: “Heading it all up will be Tom Lawday, who I think can have a real impact, not just as skipper, but also leading from the front. He’s one of those guys who we’ve worked with through our link-up with the University of Exeter and who has really prospered working day in, day out in that full-time environment.

“Tom, together with the likes of Sam Morley and Sal M’Boge, it’s a big chance for all of them. Not only will they get that first opportunity to pull on an Exeter shirt this season, but it’s putting them in what will be a tough competition, against very good sevens players, and seeing how they cope in that pressure environment.

“As anyone who has ever played sevens knows, it’s a brutal game and mistakes often get punished. There is no hiding place out there for people, so none of our guys can afford to switch off, physically or mentally.”

In what is a very strong and attacking squad from the Chiefs, Pellow says it’s not just offensively where his team have to show their worth. Defensively, pushing bodies to the limit will be just as important.

“The special moments in games will come because we have special players within the squad,” said Pellow. “It’s more about making sure our guys our solid in defence, work hard for one another, and don’t switch off at key times. Areas like restarts will be key, so too will be making sure the characteristics of our defence are spot on.”

Among those also featuring for the Chiefs this week will be 19-year-old George Chatterton, who has previously featured for England Sevens, and who later this year will start studying at the University of Exeter.

EXETER CHIEFS SQUAD

1 Tom Lawday (capt)

2 Sal M’Boge

3 George Chatterton

4 Sam Morley

5 Tom O’Flaherty

6 Santiago Cordero

7 James Short

8 Richard Capstick

9 Charlie Wright

10 Harry Strong

11 Sam Maunder

12 Barry Karea