Exeter Chiefs
Notts v Chiefs take 2
Chiefs Flag
By TCB
November 5 2009
Two Previews this week! TCB gives an alternative view on Saturday's match at Welford Road.
NOTTINGHAM - THE FORM TEAM?
Second placed Nottingham take on the League Leaders, Exeter Chiefs, this Saturday in a mouth watering clash. It would appear from some quarters that Nottingham are the form team in The Championship having won seven and only lost two of their matches so far this season.
The question is though, are they right? Are Nottingham the form team? Admittedly they have been playing well and scoring relatively freely, 262 points from 9 games is an average of just over 29 points per game and is the second highest in The Championship. Nottingham's defence has been quite tight as well, 157 points leaked at an average of almost 17.5 a game, is the second best in The Championship, behind Bedford. Impressive form in anyone's book.
Nottingham did suffer a surprise defeat last weekend to the Chiefs nearest rivals, Plymouth Albion, 31 -25, picking up a losing bonus point in the process. Well, a lot of people were calling it a surprise result, after all, Nottingham are the form team in The Championship, aren't they? Most Chiefs fans would not call it a surprise, we all know just how well Albion can play when they want to.
So, the form team in The Championship, Nottingham, take on the Exeter Chiefs at LeicesterTigers' Welford Road ground this coming Saturday with kick off being at 4.15pm. The match has changed venues because the team that Nottingham ground share with, Notts County, have been drawn at home in the FA Cup to Bradford (I think it's all to do with that funny round ball). Anyway, Leicester Tigers have kindly stepped in and offered their ground for the match.
Will the Chiefs feel the backlash from Nottingham's defeat last weekend? Quite possibly. There have been rumours about Nottingham fielding several dual registered players to cover for the numerous injuries the squad currently has. There has been a lot of talk on this site, and others, about dual registered players and how they can affect games. Is it fair? I'm not going to speculate on that and I'm sure Rob Baxter and the other coaches won't worry too much about it. They can only play the team that's in front of them, if that team just happens to contain a Jonny Wilkinson or a Martin Johnson then they just have to deal with it.
Whatever team that Nottingham do play you can be guaranteed of one thing, it will be a tough, uncompromising game and the Chiefs will have to be on top of their game to come away with a victory.
So, The Tribe will be travelling to Leicester on Saturday, probably to watch the England game first, followed by Nottingham v Exeter Chiefs, hoping that trips to Welford Road will be regular thing from next season.
My prediction for the match, Nottingham 15 Exeter Chiefs 22.
Hang on a minute. Form team? Nottingham? Whoever has been calling them that? Am I missing something?
Exeter Chiefs currently sit top of the table I believe. I've just checked the offy site, last Sundays Independant and teletext. Yep, Chiefs are definately top. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, the Chiefs have won 9 from 9 as well. Doesn't that make them unbeaten so far this season? Chiefs have also scored more points than any other team, 301, so far this season. 39 more to be precise, that's over 4 points a game more than any other team. Defence isn't too bad either, 3rd best record, just 4 points more conceded than the team with the best record, Bedford.
Surely that should make Exeter Chiefs the form team in The Championship. Maybe not, after all, Nottingham are the form team, according to some. Bristol are also a shoe in for a quick return to the Premiership according to some pundits (and I use the word pundits very loosely) so perhaps being top of the table, unbeaten and with the highest points scored doesn't count.
Perhaps these people, whoever they are, are right. Read all the reports and you will note that Exeter Chiefs have been playing ok but not brilliantly so perhaps are not deserving of being rated the form team. Still, I'd take being unbeaten over being the form team anyday. Let's keep it unbeaten right throughout the season and the play offs, then perhaps we might be worthy of being called the form team.
Whatever, it all adds up to a juicy match on Saturday and the Chiefs will still top the table come Sunday.
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05/11/2009 20:14
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Form teams are usually judged on results, not how you achieved them, therefore Exeter are comfortably the form team.
Our games at Plymouth have been extremely close in recent years, with the better team on the day not actually winning.I believe its called winning ugly.
This stupid play off system makes it irrelevant whether you go through the "league"season unbeaten or not - it'll all count for nowt if you lose just one in the play offs.
And looking at the table, you've got the most to lose if that happens, which I hope it doesnt.
And as we're loaning our captain and one other to Leicester for sunday, then the only surprise will be if we get a losing bonus point.
It should have been the best game as for once the relegated GP team is not top 2, but circumstances, whether deliberate or accidental gives it no relevance to the games gone or those to come.
Quite literally, 10 out of 10 to Exeter.
Regretably the close game you were hoping for is in Leicester and frankly, given the hype the game has had, if we knew at the start of the week what we know now, there would have been quite a few from Nottingham not making the trip.
We'll have to see the result, the size of the crowd and whether our 2 having a holiday in Leeds come back uninjured before we pass judgement I suppose.
