Posted on Apr 20, 2012 in emb, English Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, Premiership
Exeter Chiefs assistant coach Ali Hepher says his side will use the confidence gained from recent wins in the Aviva Premiership as the attacking springboard for Sunday’s top flight encounter with Northampton Saints at Sandy Park (2pm).
Having moved back into the top four – leapfrogging the Saints along the way – following last weekend’s last-gasp victory over Worcester Warriors, the Chiefs know they are within touching distance of booking themselves a place in the end of season play-offs.
For that to happen, however, the Devon club must not only see off Jim Mallinder’s outfit, but at the same time prevent their rivals from securing any kind of bonus point from their travels.
Currently the Chiefs – who last weekend secured Heineken Cup rugby for the first time in the club’s history – lead the Saints by two points in the standings after the East Midlanders came unstuck on home soil to in-form Leicester Tigers.
Up against his former club, Hepher (pictured) admits he is relishing this weekend’s match-up and believes the Chiefs have what it takes to "kick on" and achieve even greater things this term
"We want to progress," he said. "We feel we are in form; the guys are training well and it’s an exciting opportunity for us to try and take. Securing Heineken Cup rugby for next season is fantastic, but let’s kick on and see if we can do even better."
Overcoming the star-studded Saints will be no formality for the Chiefs, who crashed 33-3 in the reverse fixture at Franklin’s Gardens 33-3 back in October. That remains Exeter’s worst-ever loss since their elevation into the Premiership and Hepher hopes his side can put up a much improved display this time round.
Indeed, having reached the business end of the campaign, the Chiefs appear to have hit a rich vein of form at just the right time.
"These are the games you want to have," added Hepher. "The guys are very excited, they’re looking forward to it and as a team we’re going to go after it. For us it’s an opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best sides probably in Europe.
"Right now we’re in a rich vein of form and we’ll certainly take confidence from the performances we have put in over the last few weeks. Of course there are things we have looked to improve on from last week, but the one thing I can’t fault is character within this group of players. They are digging deep when they need it most and that’s a huge testament to them. They work hard at not only being good team-mates, but also being a strong team as well."
Such unity within the Exeter ranks is something Hepher has been quick to praise, particularly from those who have found themselves on the periphery of the action.
"We’ve got a lot of competition for places right now and that’s what you want," said Hepher, a former European Cup winner with the Saints. "Certainly the guys outside of the squad are pushing hard and they are an important part of the squad make up.
"It’s those guys that aren’t quite making the first team that have been exceptional in their preparation. They work hard every week to give the guys on the field the best chance of winning. And as I said, the whole squad stick together; they work hard together and they enjoy themselves together; so for us as coaches to have those options and that quality, we couldn’t be happier."
As always the Chiefs have left no stone unturned in their preparations for what is arguably one of the biggest fixtures in the club’s history. And having reviewed countless hours of video footage, Hepher is well aware of the threat posed by Mallinder’s men.
"They’ve got threats all over the field," he warned. "Up front they’ve got big ball carriers and it goes right through to full-back where they have a world class player in Ben Foden. Equally, we are just focusing on what we can do and if we can create our own pressure and cause them problems, then hopefully we can get a good result."
Much has been made of Exeter’s impressive second half to the season, one in which they have lost only once in the league since the turn of the year.
"Obviously things change throughout the season," said Hepher. "Looking back we started well and were playing in a similar style to now, but through the winter weather conditions and pitches change, so you’ve got to adapt your game plan accordingly. We don’t try and play the same way every week, we create a separate game plan for each game based on the opposition, the conditions, whatever.
"Everything comes into the mix in terms of how we prepare, but the main thing is we want guys out there who make good decisions and that’s what you’re seeing now. We’ve got a team who play together; they talk rugby together; plus they make decisions and seek solutions together, so it’s a nice blend for us."
Team news for the Chiefs sees head coach Rob Baxter recall Kiwi centre Jason Shoemark (pictured) back into the midfield alongside Bryan Rennie, so Phil Dollman reverts back to full-back and Luke Arscott is the man who makes way. On the bench, the sole change sees Welsh international Craig Mitchell return at the expense of former Saints favourite Chris Budgen.
Although Budgen misses out, another former Northampton man, Brett Sturgess, is included after making his 100th league appearance for the Chiefs last Saturday. That feat will be matched tomorrow by skipper Tom Hayes, whilst No.8 Richard Baxter will be running out for his 350th league appearance in Exeter colours.
CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
15 Phil Dollman
14 Gonzalo Camacho
13 Bryan Rennie
12 Jason Shoemark
11 Matt Jess
10 Ignacio Mieres
9 Haydn Thomas
1 Ben Moon
2 Chris Whitehead
3 Hoani Tui
4 Tom Hayes (capt)
5 James Hanks
6 Tom Johnson
7 James Scaysbrook
8 Richard Baxter
16 Neil Clark
17 Brett Sturgess
18 Craig Mitchell
19 Aly Muldowney
20 Ben White
21 Kevin Barrett
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Sireli Naqelevuki
Northampton Saints today announced that director of rugby Jim Mallinder has signed a new contract with the club, which will extend his tenure at Franklin’s Gardens until at least 2015.
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