Exeter Chiefs
It Just Gets Worse
sandy park
By ExTeddChief
April 20 2011
A little later (for good reason) than planned ETC reviews the Sarries match
Chiefs 12 Sarries 33
It had been a long time since I’d been to Sandy Park.
I hadn’t been able to make to the Northampton game as I was attending Exeter Scifi Society’s Microcon that weekend. And then came a long period of away games that were to varying extents, disasterous. Yet still, thanks to Leeds and the Geordies tying each other in knots, we were safe. Or were we? Going into the match the whole mess with Nemani meant that that wasn’t garunteed, but still the show goes on.
So, with the weather a lot warmer than it was than last time I hit Sandy Park it was on to the 78 and off to the great stadium we call our own! Plenty of Sarries fans on there and I wasn’t sure how the match was going to go. We’d beaten them on their turf pretty smoothly but since then well, not only were they on form but there were worries that other teams had wised up to us. So, grab a pint with the family tribe and head off to what was a chocka Karrimore. Sarries flags flying from the North stand. Surely now was the time to turn the rest of our season around?
Well early on it certainly didn’t look like it as though the game started even enough we were witness to Sarries giving us a hammering and some messy play on our part certainly didn’t help! The visitors were relentless and it was inevitable that they would open the scoring, Alex Goode doing the honours with a pen.
It was then only a matter of time before Sarries got a try and they indeed looked to have got one soon after Goode’s initial pen but it wasn’t given because the ref wanted to give a pen which was again slotted by Goode. And then came the try. Sarries charged forward from a lineout, Shoemark couldn’t clear and Yank Chris Wyles grabbed a try from point blank range, Goode converting.
Just before half time though there came hope. A Chiefs fast break that soon spread to the far corner of the pitch, the initial move getting shut down but we weren’t done. It looked messy for a bit but finally a Chief, Shoemark ran over the tryline. Steeno’s failiure to convert didn’t calm my nerves though.
Half time and I grab some chips, knowing that the Chiefs are known for our late comeback but Rob really did look like he might have his work cut out. Still, it was doable.
Well the Chiefs had the first attack of the second half but that petered out when the ref blew up! Some of the dodgiest passing I’ve seen for ages from the Chiefs then pretty much stymied further attacks before they started. Eventually we threatened the Sarries tryline on further occasions but ultimately came up empty.
Having blown our opportunities, Sarries took theirs, starting with another Goode pen to give them a double digit lead. Then came an Owen Farrell drop goal. Then Noah Cato managed to take the mick out of everyone(including Sirelli!) for a try, converted by Goode. It was in the far corner but the numbers don’t lie and I was overtaken by a sense of gloom. I’m trying to remember the last time I saw us get so badly anhiliated at Sandy Park. It got worse. Sarrie drove over from a lineout, Rhys Gill taking the credit but I barely heard the announcer. It wasn’t like it mattered at this point. Goode converted anyway.
And yet, the Chiefs had one last charge, and we managed to find our voices for the last few minutes. And finally, for what it was worth, after a stubborn Sarries rearguard kept out our pack, Budgie found Sirelli to dive over for a try, Steeno converted. The final whistle went.
It didn’t help the gloom though and on the bus there were already concerns about next season. Our dreams of the Heineken Cup are certainly over.
Somehow Rob has to teach the guys how to win Premiership games again.
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20/04/2011 19:46
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Quote:What is Kainai?Kainai
Crap
I hope this doesn't refer to the review.
Not easy to report on a defeat like this and without ETC and others this site would soon find itself off the network. It needs at least one article each 14 days to keep it live!
Quote:Chief caps
thanks for the review, just a small correction to point out. Mieres replaced steeno and converted the last try on Sat'
Doh!
