Efficient Chiefs deal with brave Scarlets

Exeter Chiefs 30-20 Scarlets

Let us begin at...the end.

A thrilling encounter between the also rans in this toughest of Heineken Cup groups was capped by Man of the Match James Scaysbrook smashing over from close range. The hard working open side rounded off a period of intense pressure from Exeter and sent the home crowd into raptures.

It had looked at one stage as if the Scarlets would avenge the loss of the previous week. The try however typified Exeter's performance.

Exeter had camped on the Scarlets line earlier in the second half; throwing wave after wave of forward runners at the line, taking scrum after scrum. They finally took a penalty and opened the gap to 23-20 as the game entered the final quarter.

This had been in response to the try of the match when George North barrelled through the home defence, offloading neatly to Scott Williams who raced into the corner. The Scarlets had been 17-3 down at one point in the first half. The score was now 20 all.

But North was taken off shortly after and Williams went off injured. The Scarlets backs, who had in the second and third quarters started to crack open Exeter, were disrupted.

Exeter sensed it. A chance. The inordinate time it took them to get from 20 all to regaining the lead seemed clumsy at the time. They could have dropped a goal from the perfectly placed scrum at the start of that ten minute period, for the same amount of points in a fraction of the time.

But it had sapped the Scarlets forwards.

Their defence loosened, forwards who had been offloading at close quarters and making yards all match dropped passes. The Scarlets' fight back was over. Exeter sensed it and turned the screw.

It was an exciting end to a fascinating match.

The Scarlets, generous and sporting as ever, gave the home side a nice easy start. Exeter wing Nowell peeled round a line out just outside the Scarlets 22. The Scarlets back row were taking high tea, or might as well have been as nobody got anywhere near him. Once Exeter had broken the line simple passing saw Ian Whitten over.

Aled Thomas, usually so dependable with his kicks from hand was charged down. A fumbled gather by prop Tui saved his blushes, only for minutes later a second of his kicks to be blocked. This time hooker Alcott gathered to score, although again it was arguable that there had been another knock on. The Scarlets can blame nobody but themselves for these lapses however and Exeter took full advantage.

Thomas soon had the chance to make amends. He spotted Exeter forwards running to cover the wider channels that had been attacked by the Scarlets until then. A simple dummy and he was away. His pass was behind North though and the move faded. The Scarlets were however cutting Exeter's line regularly towards the end of the first half and eventually hooker Ken Owens barged over after excellent phase play for their first try. 20-13 HT.

Exeter: Dollman, Nowell, Naqelevuki, Whitten, Camacho, Steenson, Thomas, Sturgess, Alcott, Tui, Muldowney, Hanks, Mumm, Scaysbrook, Johnson.

Scarlets: L. Williams, North, J. Davies, S. Williams, Maule, A. Thomas, A. Davies, Hopkins, Owens, Lee, Timani, Kelly, Earle, J. Edwards, Murphy.

Attendance: 9,258

Referee: Romain Poite (France).

It's interesting to compare the 2 coaches versions of events -

One mans pressure is another man's gift.

Exeter head coach Rob Baxter: "We got off to a flying start playing some good pressure rugby, good hard carries, good positional kicking, pressure in the set piece and pressuring their kickers.

"We got in some good positions which we got one very good try from and from pressure we created a second.
"We were on form then and playing to a very strong game plan but then went a little off plan, but we tend to do that when we get a lead and get excited."

Scarlets head coach Simon Easterby: "The game got away from us in the opening 20 minutes and you can't give any team two soft tries but that is what we did.
"The charge down was one which they didn't have to work for and then they scored off a set piece.
"When you gift them 12 points in the first half then it is always going to be an uphill struggle, and we did that last week as well when they got into an early lead."

The truth? It's a bit of both. The first try was beautifully taken, but contributed to by a sleeping Scarlets defence (nothing new there!) whilst the second was a result of those pressure tactics, but again massively contributed to by sloppy Scarlets play. They are both right

Roman Poite didnt have a clue at the Scrum, heads popping left right and centre due to ridiculously early engagements by Exeter 90 % of the time. Poite didnt have a clue and was penalising Scarlets hooker Owens and Latterly Rees for popping up when they were getting buckled by Exeter going in to early.

The scrum is still a massively contentious part of the game that seriously needs sorting as poor adjudication of it ruins games.

It was a bit of a free for all, but he was very fair - poor decisions against both sides. I think he was scared of making too big a call in that set of scrums so was a bit too lasaiz faire.

maestegmafia wrote:Roman Poite didnt have a clue at the Scrum, heads popping left right and centre due to ridiculously early engagements by Exeter 90 % of the time. Poite didnt have a clue and was penalising Scarlets hooker Owens and Latterly Rees for popping up when they were getting buckled by Exeter going in to early.

The scrum is still a massively contentious part of the game that seriously needs sorting as poor adjudication of it ruins games.

The scrum is contentious & that is why it is important to react to the ref as the game progresses. Exeter appeared to have the nudge in the scrum & you can, like the coaches differing views,interpret that as engaging early or applying more pressure.
Or a bit of both!
Well done to Exeter over the 2 games they have achieved steady progress since their promotion & it continues in the HC.

It wasn't about the rugby, it rarely is. Yes, we watched 46 players give it their all, yes, we drank too much and sang badly (well not my two Welsh female guests #voicesofangels), and yes I woke up this morning with a raging hangover. But really I got to spend a lot of time with my friends, in happy circumstances, and all in our health. On top of that, those same friends allowed me the time to spoil my children. Life does not get any better

Stop it Asbo or I might...

Big jessie!

Ha!



It wasn't me getting all soppy over Dreamers lungs...