Exeter Chiefs
Not Quite Stubborn Enough
Chiefs
By ExTeddChief
December 10 2013
ETC takes his unique take on Exeter Chiefs oh so narrow loss to Toulon.
Not Quite Stubborn Enough
So, this was it...the biggest match in Sandy Park history arguably. You had to move pretty fast to get the tickets and with the match being this close to Dad’s birthday I had to move particularly fast. Still, one batch of four tickets high up in this east corner of the SW Comms stand.
And now, Toulon. The best club side in Europe, the reigning Heineken Cup champions. With Cardiff having beaten Glasgow the previous night, this was pretty much a must-win match for us and on current form we were most certainly underdogs. Still, swim with Dad, then swing round to grandparents place, Dad opens some cards, then off to Sandy Park well early to grab a pasty.
My grandfather and I made for the Wigwam to grab a pasty and found ourselves in the middle of a cheering contest between the Tribe and Toulon fans. Credit to our French visitors, I wasn’t sure if they were going to get hold of tickets but they made it in there. One Otter each later and grandfather and I headed for our seats with my Dad and uncle joining us soon after!
Well we may have been up against the reigning European champions but we bow down to no one at Sandy and surged right into the Toulon defence, eventually the visitors conceded a penalty and Steeno slotted it. These opponents were unlikely to lie down either though and soon enough Florian Fresia, one of the lower profile visitors, took advantage of an overlap! England legend Johnny Wilkinson was unable to convert though.
Johnny did slot a pen later on to extend Toulon’s lead but after that...well the Chiefs were obviously under orders to smother the visitors and they did just that, even though it meant Steeno getting decked. Our Irish kicker was still able to slot a pen before being replaced by Sladey.
Right at the end, we got another pen. With Steeno off my grandfather was worried. “Don’t worry, Slade’s good” Slade slots it. We cheer. “Told you he was good”.
Half time and cue...well, possibly the longest toilet queue in Sandy Park history and we were all caught up in it. Eventually we all made it back with me missing the first couple of minutes of the second half.
The second half ultimately turned out to be more of the same with the Chiefs smothering Toulon but the biggest surprise of the bunch was Mr Wilkinson. We all know what he used to do in an England shirt. Anyone who’s watched Toulon over the last couple of seasons knows that he is as lethal as ever.
And yet, the Chiefs conceded plenty of second half penalties yet Sandy Park appeared to be beating the England legend! Fine by me but it was the worst I’ve ever seen Johnny play. In the meantime the TMO allowed us to dodge a bullet after Nowell came up with a try-saving tackle.
Then the Chiefs conceded another pen “we want Johnny” came the cry from SW Comms. What we got was Matt Giteau and he slotted it.
The dream of beating the European champions was pretty much dead. Wilkinson slotted a late drop goal and it was job done for them. The contest was very much a wrestling match and we did get an LBP out of it. The fact is through that we are now 3rd in the group at the half way point. We’ve got our work cut out from there. Still, let’s see what happens on the other side of the Channel next weekend!
photos copyright Empics
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10/12/2013 22:36
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I've added a few photos courtesy of Empics 
