Exeter's success is no surprise - Malone

By Mark Stevens
2/7/2016

Former Exeter Chiefs favourite Chris Malone says it’s no surprise the Devon club have established themselves as one of the leading teams within both English and European rugby.

Malone was brought to the Chiefs in 2001 by then Director of Rugby, Ian Bremner, and enjoyed a stellar campaign with the club, scoring 311 points in 28 appearances.

However, the Australian’s form impressed many suitors and with the Chiefs at that time not a top flight club, the fly-half moved onto neighbouring Bath for a crack at playing amongst English rugby’s elite teams.

He spent five years at the Rec, scoring 612 points in 116 appearances, and also had a short loan spell at Bristol, before signing for two years apiece at both Harlequins and London Irish, before heading back Down Under in 2011.

Since then Malone has been forging himself a decent coaching career back home, starting out initially with Sydney University, before landing a plum job last June as assistant coach of Super Rugby side NSW Waratahs.

The 38-year-old’s growing credentials have also been noted by current Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika, who has included him as part of his team both for last year’s Rugby World Cup and the recent Test series against England.

Malone, though, still keeps close tabs on the Chiefs and as the club prepare to welcome two of his countrymen to Sandy Park – Dave Dennis and Greg Holmes – he is predicting a bright future ahead.

He said: “I loved my time at Exeter, and if things had been different back then and they had been a Premiership club, I would have hopefully played there for a long time,’ said Malone. ‘I keep a close eye on them. Rob (Baxter) was my captain then, and it was a good place to be.

“I remember hearing Tony Rowe and Keiron Northcott talking about moving to Sandy Park, and seeing the plans for that, and to actually see it all come to fruition has been wonderful.

“Rob has obviously done a fantastic job as head coach, and he has chosen well with the players he has brought in, so it has been great to see and it is a great story.”

New recruits Dennis and Holmes have it all to look forward to when they arrived at the end of the current Super Rugby campaign, but both have been given glowing endorsements of the Chiefs by Malone and former skipper Dean Mumm.

“If you could pick one person playing Super Rugby in Australia right now that is the best in terms of that cultural fit for Exeter and what he will add to that environment, it would be big Dave Dennis,” added Malone.

“I am really pleased for Exeter, but disappointed in a sense that he is leaving us because he is a massive part of what we do here culturally, but it is an awesome opportunity for him and I am glad he is going to such a good club.

“I don’t know Greg so well, only through my dealings with the Wallabies, but he comes across to me as just a salt-of-the-earth guy. There are no airs or graces about him, he just gets on with his job and he is a wonderful bloke to have around the team, and he is also probably playing the best footie of his career right now, too.”

Malone says he has talked closely with Mumm (pictured) about his three-year stint in the Westcountry and finds it fascinating the number of people still connected with the club from the time he was himself in the region.

“Because we have both played there, it has been nice to compare and talk about people we both know, and he speaks so highly of the club and the cultural that is in place there, and the fact that people want to work hard but have a good time as well, and there is a really good balance.

“For aspiring players who are lucky enough to get the opportunity to go and play in England, to go to a club like that is special, because not every club is like that.

“Dean has been lucky to come back into an environment with the Waratahs and the Wallabies that’s also really big on what they actually are, and what they stand for, and that is what he has had at the Chiefs, and what he contributed well to at the club.”

Malone believes one of the keys to Exeter’s success has been the culture and environment they have created at the club.

“One of the things I have really enjoyed about coming to the Waratahs is seeing how much that identity means in terms of what they have built there culturally, and a lot of the things I see coming out of Exeter, and all of the guys that have come back from there – and I run into guys who have played there since I left – they all speak so highly of the environment and how good the people are there,’ he said.

“You can tell the club is built on great foundations, and long may that success continue.”