Woodburn set for new season

By Nigel Walrond
28/8/2016

Exeter Chiefs winger Olly Woodburn admitted he is looking forward to the start of the new Aviva Premiership season after signing off the pre-season campaign with a hat-trick of tries in a 32-16 victory over Newport-Gwent Dragons on Friday night.

The former Bath winger is looking very sharp, and it would be a major surprise if he was not in the starting line-up to face Wasps in the league opener at the Ricoh Arena next Sunday.

"It is good to finish off pre-season and blow off a few cobwebs. The first half was quite difficult and we made a few mistakes, and we didn’t trust ourselves and didn’t trust our systems, so it was good to come out in the second half and really put in a good performance that was more true to ourselves," said Woodburn.

"The first half was a bit loose, and I think it took a lot out of us. The ball was in play quite a lot and there were a lot of knock-ons and a lot of turnovers, and Newport is not an easy place to come to. We want to go into the new season focusing a bit more on our away form.

"We had a very good home record last season, but we dropped a few points away from home, so if we can pick a few more points up on the road, it will put us in an even better position going into the tail end of the season."

Woodburn is well aware of the threat Wasps will pose at a ground where the Chiefs won their league clash 41-27 last term, but agonisingly went down 25-24 in the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup last April.

"We played them enough last season, but they have got a bit of a new team with new signings, and it will be exciting to see how they go," he said. "They have got such a good attacking threat, and the weather will probably be good, so it will be interesting to see what sort of attack they will bring."

Woodburn is hoping to build on what was a good first season at Sandy Park for him.

"It was a really good first year for me at the club, but I don’t want to rest on my laurels, I want to up it again," he said. "I feel quite comfortable in the team, but there is so much competition for places in my area and you can’t sit back for a minute.

"I want to keep improving and I want to be in the squad throughout the season and stay fit and stay hungry. It is quite good going into the Premiership season with some tries under my belt. I have had a good bit of game time in the pre-season matches and I am feeling fit and I am looking forward to the next few weeks."

Woodburn says the players are hoping to use the narrow defeat to Saracens in last season’s Premiership final as inspiration for the new campaign.

"We don’t want to get down about the final. We weren’t a million miles away from winning it. It was only a couple of mistakes we made, but in those games that is what makes the difference," he said.