Exeter Chiefs
Where do we go from here?
3 Wheels
By 3 Wheels on My Waggon
November 5 2009
Thanks to 3 Wheels as he continues to support The Tribe with his latest Preview for Chiefs v Notts. I think it's time for a few more of the Away Tribe to get their pencils out though. Nottingham move settlement to take on the Chiefs Nottingham vs Exeter Chiefs Welford Road 7th Nov 09
So where do we go from here?!!
Exeter take on Nottingham this weekend in somewhat unfamiliar territory: at Welford Road, the home of Leicester Tigers, the venue having been switched from Meadow Lane due to a clash of home football games in Nottingham.
Exeter have played at Welford Road on 2 occasions: in the Powergen Cup back in 2001when they lost 27-0, and in the Pilkington Cup in 1992 when they went down 76-0, both times to the Tigers themselves.
So back to this weeks opposition: a day short of a year ago, Exeter played host to Nottingham at SP and beat them 29-18, but the return at Meadow Lane in March this year was a much closer affair, with the Exeter taking the spoils again, this time by a mere point, 13-14.
Exeter come to Welford Road on a high, with 9 wins out of 9, and 7 points clear of their hosts Nottingham, who have been through a very rough 12 months off the pitch. At this time last year, Nottingham were themselves facing an uncertain future, having declared that they could fold by Christmas, and even at the start of this season, faced with the prospect of no home ground after the new owners of Notts County attempted to terminate their rental contract at Meadow Lane. But on the pitch, Nottingham have put their worries behind them and have built upon their strengths, having ended last season in a strong 4th place, and after the disappointment of their opening day loss at home to the Pirates, have continued that strength into the new Championship. However, like many clubs, and senior rugby as a whole, Nottingham are carrying their fair share of injuries, reducing Delaney’s choices. This will be compounded by the unavailability of some dual registration players due to the international weekend.
Nottingham travel to Welford Road smarting from a disappointing loss to Plymouth Albion, which Delaney described as unacceptable, and which the Green and Whites will want to put behind them.
Exeter continue to rotate their squad giving all their players game time, either inside or outside the club, but more importantly giving any players with niggling injuries time to recover. It proves to be working, in that they are still unbeaten, and unlike last season, where major team changes have taken place, the new team has come out looking every bit the 1st choice selection. Predicting the team selection is definitely an impossible task. The Chiefs style of rugby continues to change each week, adapting to the strengths or weaknesses of the opposition.
Exeter will want to continue their form, extending their winning record further into the season, but with every game, the opposition will be targeting us as the team to beat, and the longer the unbeaten run, the more determined they will become to be the first to curtail it. Hopefully the guys will show enough guile and determination not to let being on this pedestal distract them from the game in hand, after all, in this business, no one is unbeatable.
This week we can expect some open running play, but both teams will also need to defend well, and I’m sure the forwards will need to work very hard to dominate this game.
My prediction 19-26 to the Chiefs.
Chiefs! Chiefs! Chiefs!
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05/11/2009 20:00
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